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ADDRESS: 

GERMAN  KALI  WORKS, 

42  Broadway.  New  York  City, 

or 

448  Monadnock  Bl'k,  Chicago.  111. 


POTASH 


IN 


AGRICULTURE. 


RESULTS  OBTAINED  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


Published  by 

THE   GERMAN    KALI  WORKS, 

(incorporated) 

new    york,  chicago,    ill. 

42     Broadway  Monadnock    Block 

ATLANTA,     GA.  NEW     ORLEANS,    LA- 

1212    Empire    B-ld-g.  Whitney    Bank    B-ld-g. 

SAN      FRANCISCO,     CALIF. 


"1  — ' 


AGRIC: 
LIBRARY 


COMPOSITION  OF  POTASH  SALTS. 

.  ^^C  ^^^"  GUARANTEED 

'^"  NAME  OF  SALTS  PER  CENT 

OF  ACTUAL  POTASH 

A.  5alts  containing  Chlorides: 

Muriate  of  Potash 48 

Manure  Salt 20 

Kainit  (crude  salt)       12 

B.  Salts  free  olf  Chlorides:.   :   : 

Sulphate  of  P9tash .'  ...'.*..:. ." : '. .  47 

Sulphate  of  ^taj^h'-]V|a^nes!i).. ..  ^'         25 


i2-'i: 


PREFACE. 


It  has  been  found  necessary  to  issue  another  edition  of  the  pam- 
phlet, "Potash  IN  Agriculture."  The  present  edition  contains  all 
the  good  points  of  the  former  one,  together  with  many  new  and  valu- 
able additions,  which  bring  the  subject  down  to  date. 

One  feature  of  this  pamphlet  is  the  careful  collection  of  extracts 
from  the  official  reports  and  bulletins  of  the  Experiment  Stations  of 
the  United  States.  The  practical  value  of  the  results  obtained  by  the 
Stations  in  field  experiments  with  fertilizers,  reported  herein,  cannot 
be  overestimated.  The  farmers  of  the  various  States,  whose  soils 
have  been  exhausted  by  continuous  croppings,  now  realize  the  neces- 
sity of  a  liberal  supply  of  Potash  on  their  lands  for  the  wants  of  their 
crops,  as  a  result  of  information  obtained  through  these  experiments. 

The  Station  investigations  and  the  experiences  of  practical  farmers 
all  show  that  most  commercial  fertilizers  have  been  and  are  yet,  to 
some  extent,  not  entirely  adapted  to  the  production  of  the  highest 
yields  and  of  the  best  quality  of  crops.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that 
some  of  these  old-style  comm  'rcial  fertilizers  contain  an  insufficient 
amount  of  potash.  The  old  brands  of  fertilizers  rarely  contained 
more  than  2  or  3  per  cent,  of  potash.  Nowadays,  some  of  the  leading 
fertilizer  manufacturers  advertise  and  sell  brands  of  fertilizer  which 
contain  10  per  cent,  of  actual  potash.  It  is  a  favorable  sign,  that  such 
fertilizers  are  becoming  more  common  on  the  market. 

In  addition,  there  is  a  brief  account  of  the  general  principles  of 
potash  fertilization,  which  will  no  doubt  prove  valuable  to  farmers. 


274373 


CONTENTS, 


PAGS. 

Average  Composition  of  Potash  Salts 2 

Preface 3 

The  Stassfurt  Industry 5 

Part  I.     The  Way  to  Use  Potash ' 7 

Grain  Crops 11 

Corn 12 

Cotton  12 

Tobacco 13 

Potatoes 14 

Tomatoes 14 

Garden  Crops  and  Vegetables ) ") 

Fruits  and  Berries 15 

Part  II.     Results  with  Potash  upon  Various  Crops IC 

Proper  Composition  of  Fertilizers 16 

Apples J  9 

Asparagus 20 

Beans 20 

Clover 20 

Corn 21 

Cotton 35 

Fodder  Corn 41 

Grapes 42 

Grass  and  Clover 46 

Hemp 45 

Oats 46 

Oranges 46 

Peach  Trees 47 

Peas 49 

Potatoes 50 

Potatoes  (Sweet) ; . . .  59 

Rice 63 

Rye 63 

Sorghum : 63 

Strawberries 64 

Sugar  Beets 64 

Sugar  Cane 65 

Timothy •. 65 

Tobacco 65 

Tomatoes 67 

Turnips 70 

Vegetables 70 

Wheat 71 

Potash  as  Insecticide  and  Fungicide 71 

Table  showing  Composition  of  Phosphatic,  Nitrogenous  and  Potash  materials  78 

Average  Composition  of  the  most  important  Farm  Manures 79 

Table  giving  amounts  of  Plant  Food  annually  removed  by  various  crops 79 

Distance  recommended  for  Planting 80 

Number  of  Plants  per  aqr^  at  various  distances SO 


THE  STASSFURT   INDUSTRY. 


Early  in  the  last  century,  Stassfurt,  in  Northern  Germany  (in  the 
province  of  Saxony),  was  noted  for  its  extensive  salt-works,  which 
employed  on  y  the  unscientific  pan  process  of  evaporating  water  from 
a  natural  brine,  obtained  by  pumping  from  driven  salt-wells.  This 
method  was  slow,  wasteful  and  expensive,  so  that  when  deposits  of 
solid  rock-salt  were  discovered  in  various  places,  this  evaporated 
product  could  not  compete  against  the  mined  crystal  salt. 

Thus,  the  Stassfurt  Works  ceased  to  yield  their  former  large  revenue 
to  the  Prussian  Government.  In  fact,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the 
salt  market,  these  works  became  dead  property,  and  with  the  hope  of 
turning  them  to  some  profit,  the  Prussian  Government  began  borings 
for  rock  salt  in  1839.  A  shaft  was  sunk  (begun  in  1852)  and  in  1857, 
at  a  depth  of  1080  feet,  a  stratum  of  rock  salt  was  discovered,  after 
having  drilled  through  a  deposit  of  so-called  "  Abraumsalze  "  (refuse 
salts),  consisting  largely  of  potash  and  magnesia  compounds,  which 
were  then  considered  worthless,  but  now  are  known  to  be  of  inestima- 
ble value  to  the  agricultural  and  the  manufacturing  world. 

Up  to  that  time  wood  ashes  were  the  only  source  of  potash,  and,  as 
their  supply  was  limited  and  decreasing  in  quantity,  they  could 
scarcely  supply  the  demands  of  the  chemical  industries.  Then  came 
the  patient  and  skilled  researches  and  startling  discoveries  of  that 
great  scientist  Liebig.  By  him  and  his  influence  the  secrets  of  plant- 
food  and  plant-growth  became  known,  and  it  was  discovered  that 
potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients,  important  and  necessary  to  the 
sustenance  of  plant-life. 

In  the  light  of  these  discoveries,  the  vast  potash  deposits  at  Stass- 
furt forthwith  attracted  attention,  and  mining  for  these  salts  was  pres- 
ently begun.  Soon  both  the  crude  salts  and  the  refined  articles  in 
various  forms  were  put  upon  the  market  and  placed  within  the  reach 
of  the  cultivator. 

The  success  of  potash  fertilization,  in  increasing  yields  and  im- 
proving the  quality  of  fruits,  grains  and  forage,  soon  created  an  enor- 
mous demand  for  the  Stassfurt   Potash  Salts — a  demand  which  has 


6  THK    STASSFURT    INDUSTRY, 

increased  from  year  to  year  and  made  Stassfurt  again  the  centre  of 
vast  commercial  and  manufacturing  industries.  To-day  it  employs  in 
round  numbers  30,000  laborers,  not  to  mention  chemists,  engineers, 
superintendents,  clerks,  and  the  like,  and  the  large  number  elsewere 
now  engaged  in  handling  its  products. 

From  small  beginnings  and  through  varying  fortunes  this  once 
quaint  little  town  has  become  a  great  industrial  centre,  from  which 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  tons  of  Potash  Salts  are  annually  shipped, 
carrying  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tons  of  agricultural  fertility  to  all 
the  civilized  lands  of  the  world.  Sixty  odd  large  Potash  mining  estab- 
lishments supply  crude  material,  and  the  large  chemical  works  at 
Stassfurt  and  vicinity  produce  an  enormous  output  of  Potash  products. 
These  establishments  are  commercially  united  under  the  name  of 

THE  GERMAN   KALI  WORKS. 


PART  I. 


THE  WAY  TO  USE  POTASH, 


As  one  object  of  this  pamphlet  is  to  describe  the  results  obtained 
from  potash  salts  upon  various  crops,  some  account  of  their  use  and 
method  of  applying  them  may  be  given.  The  better  the  farmer  under- 
stands the  principles  of  potash  fertilization  the  better  will  be  his  results. 
Therefore,  the  following  important  suggestions  are  offered: 

1.  PHOSPHORIC    ACID    AND    NITROGEN.    AS    WELL   AS    POTASH 

ARE    ESSENTIAL   TO    PLANT    GROWTH. 

The  three  substances  required  to  be  given  to  plants  to  sustain  their 
life  and  to  induce  a  healthy  and  vigorous  growth  are:  Potash,  Phos- 
phoric Acid  and  Nitrogen;  and  sometimes  lime  is  needed.  All  three 
substances  have  their  part  to  perform,  and  neither  one  can  take  the 
place  of  the  other.  Thus,  fertilization  with  potash  alone  does  not  pay, 
except  in  rare  instances,  and  so  with  the  other  substances  when  used 
by  themselves. 

2.  SOILS  AS  WELL  AS    PLANTS    DIFFER    IN   THEIR   NEEDS   FOR 

POTASH. 

As  every  experienced  farmer  knows,  some  soils  contain  more  of  one 
kind  of  plant-food  than  of  another.  The  great  advantage  is  in  finding 
out  just  what  the  soil  lacks  in  the  way  of  plant-food,  and  what  form 
and  what  quantity  of  fertilizers  should  be  supplied  to  make  up  the 
deficiency. 

It  would  be  easy  to  compound  a  fertilizer  suited  for  certain  crops,  if 
all  soils  contained  the  elements  of  fertility — that  is,  potash,  phosphoric 
acid  and  nitrogen — in  the  same  quantity  and  in  the  same  form,  but 
these  conditions  are  seldom  found  on  any  farm;  hence  the  practical 
farmer  must  study  the  conditions  of  his  soil  and  compound  his  fertilizer 
in  such  a  way  as  to  raise  the  largest  crops  at  the  lowest  cost. 

3.  LEGUMINOUS   PLANTS   DRAW   NITROGEN    FROM    THE   AIR. 

The  leguminous  plants  are  such  as  beans,  peas,  clover  and  vetches. 
The  characteristic  of  these  plants  is  that  they  draw  nitrogen  from  the 


S  TME    WAY    TO    USE    POTASH. 

air  sufficient  for  their  wants;  hence,  they  should  be  supplied  with 
those  other  ingredients  which  are  necessary  to  plant-growth.  This 
explains  why  potash  has  proven  most  useful  when  applied  to  all  kinds 
of  legumes.  It  stimulates  and  increases  their  power  to  obtain  nitro- 
gen, which  latter  is  the  most  expensive  material  the  farmer  has  to 
buy,  and  which  is  returned  into  the  soil  at  a  very  slight  cost  when 
leguminous  plants  are  plowed  under.     This  is  called  ''green  manuring." 

4.    HOW    GREEN    MANURING    BRINGS    PROFIT. 

The  heavy  expense  which  heretofore  attended  the  use  of  nitro- 
genous fertilizers  can  be  decreased  to  a  large  extent  by  green  manur- 
ing. By  raising  the  leguminous  crops  in  rotation,  the  roots,  leaves 
and  stalks  decay  in  the  soil  and  furnish  a  large  quantity  of  free  nitro- 
gen for  succeeding  crops.  Besides,  humus  is  added  to  the  soil,  thus 
improving  its  chemical  and  physical  condition.  Green  manuring  is 
now  regarded  as  the  best  and  cheapest  method  of  restoring  fertility 
to  worn-out  soils.  But  leguminous  crops,  such  as  clover,  beans,  peas 
or  vetches,  can  only  do  their  best  if  they  are  well  fertilized  with 
potash  and  phosphoric  acid. 

6.    LIME    IS    NECESSARY   UPON    SOME    SOILS  AND    FOR    SOME 
PLANTS. 

There  is  usually  lime  in  sufficient  quantity  in  most  soils  for  the  re- 
quirements of  plant-food  only,  but  sometimes  the  farmer  must 
supply  lime  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  mechanical  condition  of 
the  soil,  especially  to  such  soils  as  are  too  stiff,  and  to  sandy  soils. 
Soils  of  a  peaty  nature  are  also  much  improved  by  the  use  of  lime. 
Lime  is  also  the  best  means  of  sweetening  sour  soils  and  thus  making 
them  productive. 

6.    APPLY    POTASH    SALTS   EARLY   AND   AVOID  TOP-DRESSING. 

The  time  and  method  of  using  potash  are  important.  In  many 
cases  positive  damage  is  done  by  applying  fertilizers  too  late  in  the 
season.  The  full  effect  of  the  potash  and  also  of  phosphoric  acid  is 
obtained  only  when  these  mineral  fertilizers  are  applied  some  time 
previous  to  planting,  or  sowing  of  the  crop.  The  farmer  should  not 
make  the  mistake  of  applying  potash  salts  as  a  top-dressing.  The 
proper  way  is  to  plow  them  under,  so  that  the  food  will  be  readily  taken 
up  by  the  tiny  rootlets  of  the  growing  plants. 


THE     WAY    TO    USE    POTASH.  9 

What  has  been  said  about  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  does  not 
apply  to  nitrogenous  fertilizers,  especially  in  the  form  of  nitrate  of 
soda.  Nitrate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  ammonia  and  like  fertilizers  are 
more  quickly  and  easily  washed  out  of  the  soil  and  lost  than  any  other 
manure.  Therefore  such  fertilizers  should  be  applied  as  a  top-dress- 
ing to  crops  in  the  spring,  and  not  in  the  fall  and  winter,  and  in  many 
cases  they  can  be  applied  with  advantage  during  the  growing  season. 

7.  THE    PLACE    OF     MAGNESIA. 

This  element,  which  is  deficient  in  some  soils,  is  often  needed  in 
plant-growth  and  plant-life.  The  potash  salts  containing  a  large  per- 
centage of  magnesia  are  kainit  and  sulphate  of  potash  magnesia. 
These  materinls  may  be  supplied  with  good  results,  especially  upon 
very  sandy  soils,  and  also  upon  peaty  soils.  The  magnesia  in  kainit 
has  another  valuable  quality,  as  it  is  very  effective  and  extensively 
used  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  insects,  pests  and  fungi  (grub-worms, 
root-lice,  etc.)  present  in  the  soil. 

8.  THE    EFFECT    OF    CHLORINE. 

The  Potash  salts  containing  chlorine  are  kainit,  muriate  of  potash 
and  Potash  manure  salt.  The  sulphate  of  potash  and  sulphate  of  pot- 
ash magnesia  are  free  from  chlorine.  Where  quality  of  some 
fruits  and  some  crops  is  to  be  considered,  and  where  direct  applica- 
tion is  to  be  made,  it  is  best  to  use  the  sulphate  of  potash  or  sulphate 
of  potash  magnesia,  instead  of  the  muriate  or  kainit.  This  applies  to 
tobacco,  perhaps  oranges,  and  some  other  fruit  and  vegetable  crops. 
It  is  easy,  however,  to  avoid  the  objectionable  effect  of  muriate  of 
potash  or  kainit  by  applying  the  fertilizer  several  months  previous 
to  planting,  or  better  still  to  the  preceding  crop. 

When  land  inclines  to  sourness  Sulphate  of  Potash  has  been  found 
more  economical  than  the  Muriate,  notwithstanding  the  somewhat 
higher  price  per  ton  of  the  former.  This  is  because  the  Sulphate  does 
not  have  a  tendency  to  exhaust  the  lime  of  the  soil  as  does  Muriate. 
A  saving  will  be  effected  on  such  soils  through  the  use  of  Sulphate  of 
Potash. 

9.  THOROUGH  CULTIVATION    IS  ESSENTIAL   TO  SUCCESS  WITH 

FERTILIZERS. 

A  plant  can  only  do  its  best  when  all  the  elements  upon  which  it 
feeds  are  presented  to  it  under  the  most  favorable  conditions.  For 
if,  by  neglect  of  proper  cultivation,  the  soil  becomes  hard,  it  offers  re- 


10  THE    WAY    TO    USE    POTASH. 

sistance  to  the  growth  of  the  roots,  and  can  neither  absorb  nor  retain 
the  moisture  necessary  to  plant-growth;  under  such  conditions  artifi- 
cial fertilizers  cannot  show  their  full  benefit.  To  the  objection  some- 
times made  that  artificial  fertilizers  stimulate  the  growth  of  weeds, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  remark  that  the  weed,  as  a  robber,  revels  in  a 
certain  soil,  and  that  whatever  promotes  the  growth  of  the  weed  will 
also  furnish  the  elements  of  strength  to  the  crop  planted  and  will  make 
the  latter  profitable  to  the  planter. 

The  object  of  cultivation  is  to  bring  the  soil  into  that  condition  which 
is  best  suited  for  the  growth  of  the  plants.  Thus,  it  prepares  the  way 
for  the  different  kinds  of  plant-foods;  namely,  nitrogen,  phosphoric 
acid  and  potash,  which  are  applied  in  the  fertilizer. 

10.  POTASH    SALTS   AS    MANURE    PRESERVER. 

All  kinds  of  animal  manure  when  exposed  to  the  elements  lose  a 
considerable  part  of  their  organic  matter  and  nitrogen  by  decompo- 
sition. This  loss  which  amounts  to  about  25  per  cent,  or  more  of  the 
nitrogen,  can  largely  be  prevented  by  the  use  of  kainit,  which  has  the 
property  of  absorbing  and  retaining  nitrogen  and  preventing  a  harm- 
ful fermentation,  which  latter  causes  a  loss  of  organic  matter.  When 
using  kainit  for  this  purpose,  sprinkle  daily  in  the  stable,  i|  to  2  lbs. 
for  every  full-grown  animal  being  a  fair  average.  By  this  procedure, 
not  only  a  large  amount  of  organic  matter  and  valuable  nitrogen  is 
retained,  but  the  manure  produced  is  also  enriched  by  potash. 

11.  POTASH    SALTS    AS    INSECTICIDES    AND    FUNGICIDES. 

Few  plants  escape  the  attacks  of  insect  enemies;  or  are  free  from 
some  disease.  Plant  lice,  scales,  cabbage  maggots,  onion  maggots, 
wire-worms,  cut-worms,  and  other  insects  do  an  incalculable  amount 
of  damage  every  season.  Many  of  these  feed  upon  the  roots  of  plants 
deep  in  the  soil,  where  they  cannot  be  reached  by  the  usual  remedies 
applied  through  a  spraying  apparatus.  The  way  to  destroy  these 
pests  is  to  put  a  large  quantity  of  kainit  in  the  soil.  This  contains 
magnesia,  which  seems  to  be  an  effective  destroyer  of  these  insects. 
The  same  remedy  has  also  been  employed  with  much  success  to  cure 
cotton-root  rot  and  cotton-blight,  and  shelling  of  the  grape.  Practi- 
cal farmers  in  various  sections  of  the  country  have  noted  the  invigo- 
rating and  restorative  effect  of  potash  salts  upon  sickly  crops,  and 
upon  fruit  trees  and  vines  suffering  from  diseases. 


GRAIN      CROPS.  11 

12.    WOOD  ASHES  AND  TOBACCO  STEMS  AS   POTASH   FERTILIZ- 
ERS. 

The  above  materials  are  used  as  fertilizers  mainly  because  the  potash, 
which  they  contain,  makes  them  valuable.  The  trouble  is,  however, 
that  the  amount  of  potash  is  not  a  uniform  quantity.  Thus,  wood- 
ashes  that  were  supposed  to  contain  5  per  cent,  of  pure  potash,  are 
frequently  found  to  have  not  more  than  2  or  3  per  cent.  This  differ- 
ence in  the  potash  value  cannot  be  detected  by  the  appearance  of 
wood  ashes.  The  potash  in  tobacco  stems  ranges  from  4  to  9  per 
cent.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  farmer  should  insist  upon  a 
guaranteed  chemical  analysis  in  these  substances,  and  should  calculate 
the  market  price  of  potash  per  pound  contained  in  his  wood-ashes  and 
like  fertilizers  before  purchasing. 

Jhe  following  matter  treats  of  the  qualities  of  the  three  principal 
fertilizing  substances — potash,  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen — which 
have  been  found  useful  upon  many  soils,  and  may  be  taken  as  a  guide 
in  the  fertilization  of  soils  in  which  the  manurial  requirements  have 
not  been  ascertained: 

GRAIN    CROPS. 

All  the  grain  crops  (wheat,  oats,  rye  and  barley)  remove  from  the 
soil  large  quantities  of  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash.  The 
experiences  of  the  most  successful  farmers  show  that  the  cereals 
should  have  a  proper  place  in  the  rotation  of  crops  on  the  farm.  Thus, 
wheat  comes  in  very  well  after  a  crop  of  Indian  corn;  barley  after  a 
well-manured  crop  of  potatoes  or  Indian  corn. 

By  green  manuring — that  is,  by  ''  plowing  under"  a  crop  of  clover, 
peas  or  other  plants  which  draw  their  nitrogen  from  the  air — the 
economical  farmer  is  able  to  obtain  sufficient  nitrogen  to  produce  a 
good  grain  crop,  if  a  liberal  supply  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  be 
given  to  the  soil.  A  light  top-dressing  of  40  to  50  lbs.  per  acre  of 
nitrate  of  soda  may  be  profitably  applied  to  wheat  and  oats  in  the 
spring,  even  when  they  follow  a  nitrogen  gathering  crop.  If  grain 
crops  do  not  follow  a  nitrogen-gathering  crop,  a  larger  quantity  of 
nitrogenous  fertilizer  is  needed;  200  to  300  lbs.  of  nitrate  of  soda  per 
acre  are  suitable  quantities,  and  it  is  well  to  apply  this  in  doses,  one- 
fourth  (50  lbs.)  in  autumn  at  the  time  of  planting,  half  the  remainder 
(75  lbs.)  in  the  spring,  and  the  balance  (75  lbs.)  just  before  the  blossoms 
appear.  In  spring-planted  grain  crops,  half  of  the  nitrate  of  soda 
should  be  given  at  the  time  of  sowing,  and  the  rest  at  the  time  of  stooling. 


12  CORN-COTTON. 

In  addition  to  the  nitrogen,  it  is  essential  to  apply  the  proper  quan- 
tities of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  to  grain  crops,  and  a  neglect  in 
this  respect  will  not  only  prevent  a  remunerative  yield,  but  will  also 
cause  the  grain  to  lodge. 

The  following  quantities  per  acre  may  be  taken  as  an  average  for 
cereal  crops: 

500  lbs.  per  acre  of  a  fertilizer  containing  8  per  cent,  of  phosphoric 
acid  and  5  per  cent,  potash.  As  many  practical  farmers  have  fouifd 
that  barley  responds  well  to  potash  fertilizers,  a  larger  amount  of 
potash  than  above  recommended  may  often  be  applied  with  profit. 


CORN. 

The  importance  of  potash  fertilization  for  corn  is  established  beyond 
question  by  the  results  obtained  at  the  Experiment  Stations  of  a  great 
number  of  States.  These  results  show  that  the  marked  increase  in 
the  yield  of  corn  and  fodder  is  due  to  potash,  which  is  the  controlling 
element,  rather  than  to  phosphoric  acid  or  nitrogen.  If  a  legume  crop 
as  clover  or  alfalfa  precedes  the  corn,  there  is  little  need  of  nitrogen 
beyond  that  supplied  by  green  manuring,  while  phosphoric  acid  may 
be  used  in  smaller  doses  than  potash. 

The  attention  of  practical  farmers  is  called  to  the  results  with  potash 
upon  corn  crops  at  the  Kentucky,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New 
Hampshire  and  New  Jersey  Experiment  Stations.  Here  we  have 
experiments  in  different  States  upon  different  soils,  and  the  results  of 
potash  fertilization  on  the  yield  of  corn  and  fodder  show  for  them- 
selves. In  the  Kentucky  blue-grass  region  the  increase  was  from  30 
to  50  bushels  of  ear  corn  per  acre. 

On  peat  soils  which  are  rich  in  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  an  in- 
crease of  30  bushels  and  more  of  shelled  corn  has  been  obtained  by 
using  200  lbs.  per  acre  of  Muriate  of  Potash. 


COTTON. 

The  uplands  of  the  South  are  usually  in  a  poor  state,  owing  to  the 
old-time  practice  of  planting  the  same  lands  year  after  year  with  cot- 
ton. Hence,  the  first  thing  is  to  improve  the  physical  and  mechanical 
condition  of  the  soil.  This  can  be  done  most  economically  by  "plow- 
ing under"  green  crops,  such  as  a  crimson  clover  or  cow-peas,  in  com- 
bination with  potash-phosphate  fertilization. 


POTATOES.  lA 

The  importance  of  green-manuring  in  cotton  culture  has  been  es- 
tablished by  Station  experiments  and  by  practical  planters.  The 
''plowing  under"  of  leguminous  crops  not  only  improves  the  me- 
chanical condition  of  the  soil,  but  at  the  same  time  adds  a  large 
amount  of  nitrogen,  thus  making  the  expense  of  artificial  fertilizers 
considerably  less.  The  cultivation  of  crimson  clover  and  cow-peas 
is  rapidly  spreading  in  the  cotton  belts  of  the  South.  It  has  been 
found  a  profitable  practice  to  sow  among  the  cotton  plants  at  last 
cultivation  15  lbs.  per  acre  of  crimson  clover  seed.  This  does  not 
interfere  with  the  maturing  of  cotton,  while  it  prevents  the  land  from 
leaching  during  heavy  winter  rains,  besides  preserving  and  retaining 
valuable  nitrogen  in  the  soil.  In  order  that  crops  of  crimson  clover 
and  cow-peas  may  grow  vigorously,  and  to  obtain  an  abundant  supply 
of  nitrogen,  it  is  necessary  that  they  be  properly  supplied  with  potash 
and  phosphoric  acid. 

The  attention  of  cotton  planters  is  called  to  the  results  obtained 
with  potash  upon  cotton  crops  at  the  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  South 
Carolina  Experiment  Stations.  In  South  Carolina  500  to  1000  lbs.  of 
a  fertilizer  containing  4  per  cent,  nitrogen,  10  per  cent,  phosphoric 
acid  and  4  per  cent,  potash  produced  good  results  upon  clay  soil,  and 
upon  a  sandy  soil  in  the  East.  The  same  quantities  are  found  profit- 
able in  North  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

In  some  sections  the  planters  suffer  heavy  losses  from  leaf-blight  of 
cotton.  Prof.  Atkinson's  experiments  on  the  Experiment  Station 
farms  in  Alabama  show  that,  by  the  use  of  kainit  (400  lbs.  per  acre) 
leaf-blight  is  largely,  if  not  entirely,  prevented,  and  the  yield  of 
cotton  increased.  The  use  of  kainit  for  this  purpose  is  now  becoming 
the  recognized  remedy,  and  cotton  planters  will  find  it  invaluable. 


POTATOES. 

There  is  no  doubt  about  the  need  of  potash  for  a  good  potato  crop. 
The  presence  or  the  absence  of  potash  will  determine  the  yield  of 
tubers. 

A  few  words  as  to  the  effect  of  the  different  forms  of  potash  salts: 
Sulphate  of  potash  or  sulphate  of  potash  magnesia  always  produces 
a  good  quality  of  potatoes,  while  the  salts  containing  chlorine,  that  is, 
kainit  and  muriate  of  potash,  may  lessen  the  amount  of  starch  ancj 
thereby  produce  potatoes  of  inferior  quality. 


14  TOMATOES-TOBACCO. 

It  should  be  pointed  out  that  injury  can  be  avoided  in  two  ways: 
First,  by  using  sulphate  of  potash  or  sulphate  of  potash  magnesia; 
second,  by  spreading  the  muriate  or  kainit  broadcast  in  autumn,  so  that 
by  spring  the  chlorine  will  have  washed  into  the  subsoil. 

Equally  favorable  are  the  results  of  the  use  of  potash  on  sweet 
potatoes.  Attention  is  called  to  the  experiments  with  sweet  potatoes 
at  the  Delaware  and  New  Jersey  Stations  and  at  Southern  Pines,  N. 
C.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  form  of  potash  salts  had  an  injurious 
effect  on  the  quality  of  the  sweet  potatoes. 

The  following  may  be  taken  as  a  good  average  potato  fertilizer: 
7  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid,  3  per  cent,  nitrogen  and  10  to  12  per  cent, 
potash,  used  at  the  rate  of  about  700  lbs.  per  acre. 


TOMATOES. 

Although  tomatoes  are  a  garden  crop,  they  are  grown  on  a  large 
scale  for  market  and  for  canning.  The  chemical  composition  of  the 
tomato  shows  large  quantities  of  nitrogen  and  potash,  indicating  that 
these  elements  are  much  needed.  This  is  verified  in  practice,  and  the 
beneficial  effects  of  nitrogen  and  potash  will  be  seen  from  the  results 
of  careful  experiments  at  the  Deleware  and  Maryland  Stations.  An- 
other effect  is  to  hasten  the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  while  the  potash 
gives  fine  color  and  quality. 

The  following  is  recommended  for  tomatoes:  About  500  lbs.  per 
acre  of  a  fertilizer  containing  7  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid  and  10  per 
cent,  potash.  In  addition  about  250  lbs.  of  nitrate  of  soda,  half 
applied  as  top-dressing  previous  to  planting  and  the  other  half  just 
before  fruit  begins  to  set.  , 


TOBACCO. 

As  the  tobacco  crop  exhausts  about  103  lbs.  of  potash  per  acre,  this 
loss  must  be  made  good  by  a  fertilizer  rich  in  potash.  What  has  been 
said  about  applying  potash  salts  to  the  potato,  applies  with  even  more 
force  to  the  tobacco  plant.  In  order  to  have  a  leaf  that  has  a  fine 
flavor  and  burns  well,  it  is  best  to  use  sulphate  of  potash,  and  to  avoid 
using  the  forms  of  potash  salts  containing  chlorine,  such  as  kainit  and 
muriate  of  potash.  Stable  manure  should  not  be  applied  directly  to 
the  plant,  but  to  the  preceding  crop.  Rank  organic  manures,  tankage, 
fish  scraps,  etc.,  should  not  be  used. 


GARDEN   CROPS    AND    VEGETABLES-FRUITS    AND    BERRIES.  15 

A  good  average  tobacco  fertilizer  should  contain  about  7  per  cent, 
of  available  phosphoric  acid,  3^  per  cent,  nitrogen,  and  10  per  cent,  of 
potash.  The  potash  should  be  in  the  form  of  sulphate.  Fertilizers 
which  contain  chlorine  should  be  avoided. 

GARDEN  CROPS  AND  VEGETABLES. 

The  various  forms  of  potash  salts  are  indispensable  to  profitable 
gardening.  The  kind  and  amount  of  potash  needed  will  always 
depend  upon  the  requirements  of  the  soil  and  of  the  different  crops. 
One  or  two  suggestions  may  be  made. 

For  asparagus  large  quantities  of  kainit  are  essential  for  rapid 
growth  and  large  stalks.  Some  growers  find  that  not  less  than  1,000 
lbs.  or  even  one  ton,  of  kainit  per  acre,  together  with  250  lbs.  or  more 
of  nitrate  of  soda  will  give  them  the  best  results. 

For  celery,  experience  has  shown  that  a  fertilizer  containing  about 
8  per  cent,  potash  is  necessary  in  order  to  obtain  good  yields.  As  this 
crop  is  often  grown  on  muck  or  swamp  land,  which  is  usually  deficient 
in  potash,  this  element  of  plant-food  should  be  liberally  supplied  in  the 
fertilizer,  while  nitrogen  is  not  needed  as  a  rule  on  such  soils. 

For  cucumbers  a  liberal  supply  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  is 
essential  to  a  good  crop.  The  tendency  of  a  heavy  application  of 
nitrogenous  manures  is  to  produce  a  hollow  fruit  of  poor  keeping 
quality. 


FRUITS    AND    BERRIES. 

Practical  and  successful  fruit-growers  are  finding  out  every  year  the 
importance  of  potash  fertilization,  and  especially  those  who  have  trees 
on  a  sandy  soil  find  that  they  cannot  get  fruit  of  the  finest  quality 
without  it. 

The  nitrogen  should  be  applied  to  orchards  by  plowing  under  a 
crop  of  crimson  clover,  cow-peas,  beans,  etc.  It  is  the  same  with  the 
vinyard.  The  nitrogen  obtained  by  green  manuring  is  usually  suffi- 
cient to  produce  a  good  growth  of  wood,  while  potash  and  phos- 
phoric acid  are  needed  to  develop  and  ripen  fine  quality  of  fruit.  Ni- 
trogenous fertilizers  are  used  where  green  manuring  cannot  be  prac- 
ticed, as,  for  example,  in  strawberry  culture. 

The  following  quantities  per  acre  may  be  taken  as  an  average 
application  for  fruit:  1,000  lbs.  per  acre  of  a  fertilizer  containing  8  per 
cent,  phosphoric  acid  10  per  cent,  potash,  (and  3  per  cent,  of  nitro- 
gen where  needed.) 


PART  II 


RESULTS    WITH    POTASH     UPON 
VARIOUS    CROPS. 


QUOTED     FROM     EXPERIMENT    STATION     BULLETINS. 


The  Proper  Composition  of  Fertilizers. 

FLORIDA.    1893. 

Fertilizers — By  A.  A.  Persons.     Bulletin  No.  22,  page  16. 

**From  chemical  analyses  of  the  soils  of  various  sections  of  Florida 
made  in  this  laboratory,  it  is  made  apparent  that  the  soils  of  this  State 
are  universally  more  deficient  in  potash  than  any  other  element,  while 
phosphoric  acid  is  more  generally  diffused  throughout  the  soil  than 
either  of  the  others.  This  fact,  taken  into  consideration  along  with 
the  other  fact  that,  generally  speaking,  the  character  of  the  crops 
grown  throughout  the  State  is  such  as  requires  a  predominance  of 
both  potash  and  nitrogen,  it  would  seem,  to  say  the  least,  that  a 
majority  oi  fertilizer  combinations  put  annually  upon  our  markets  for 
sale  are  ill  adapted  to  fruit  and  vegetable  growing.  The  writer  is  of  the 
opinion  that,  as  a  general  rule,  it  would  be  well  for  our  manufacturers 
to  reverse  the  proportions  of  many  of  the  fertilizer  formulas  that  they 
are  daily  commending  as  admirably  adapted  to  fruit-growing,  and 
have  the  constituents  proportioned  about  as  follows: 

Phosphoric  Acid 5  to    6  per  cent. 

Potash 10  to  12       •• 

Nitrogen 6  to    8        " 

"It  is  confidently  believed  that  a  mixture  compounded  in  accord- 
ance with  the  above  formula  will,  in  a  great  majority  of  instances, 
yield  results  far  more  favorable  in  the  case  of  fruit  crops  than  the 
ordinary  routine  formula  that  our  fruit-growers  have  been  accustomed 
to  use  for  years, 

16 


PROPER    COMPOSITION    OF    FERTILIZERS.  17 

i    *^ATid  what  has  been  said  with  regard  to  fruit-tree  fertilizers  ap- 
plies with  equal  force  to  vegetable  growing." 

I  NEW    HAMPSHIRE.    1894.. 

Farm-Yard  Manures  and  Artificial  Fertilizers — By   G.  H.   Whitcher. 
Bulletin  No.  21. 

Under  the  heading  of  "Substitutes  for  Farm-Yard  Manures,"  the 
Director  has  the  following  remarks  to  make  : 

i'  "The  results  of  all  our  work  show,  without  exception,  that  New 
Mantpshire  soils  are  more  in  need  of  potash  than  any  other  element 
of  plant-food,  and  consequently  that  we  may  so  compound  our  fer- 
lilizers  that  better  results  shall  follow  their  use  than  is  possible  with 
the  average  fertilizer  found  in  our  markets,  and  this  the  farmer  is 
enabled  to  do  by  buying  his  crude  fertilizing  chemicals  and  mixing  as 
his  soils  and  crops  require     .... 

"These  results  represent  more  than  500  individual  tests,  and  it 
cannot  be  that  the  results  thus  obtained  are  accidental;  they  rest  on 
some  law,  and  from  a  study  of  the  conditions  of  the  experiments  \ye 
are  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  prepared  goods  are  deficient  in 
potash.  The  following  table  shows  the  per  cents  of  nitrogen,  phos- 
phoric acid  and  potash  in  the  combinations  of  chemicals  that  in  actual 
practice  have  proved  best : 

NITROGEN.       PHOS.   ACIU.       POTASH. 
Per  cent.  Per  cent.  Per  cent. 

Best  results  on  plots  at  Hanover  come  from 

mixtures  containing. 2.5  5.75  25.0 

Best  results  on  seven  New  Hampshire  farms 

>■     (husked  corn). .;... .; 4.7  9'0  io-7 

Best  results  on  seven  New  Hampshire  farms 
(fodder) 

Best  results  on  Potatoes 

Best  results  on  Sweet  Corn 

Best  results  on  Ensilage 

Best  results  on  Potatoes,  (second  series) 

Average  composition  of  mixtures  of  chemi- 
cals that  have  produced  best  results 

Average  composition  of  fertilizers  sold  in  the 

state 3-0  12.0  3.0 

As  a  result  of  the  experiments  several  standard  combinations  and 
mixtures  are  recommended  for  the  various  crops  and  in  speaking  of 
the  chemicals  to  be  used  in  supplying  the  fertilizers.  Prof.  Whitcher 
says:  "These  chemicals  are  all  dry,  harmless  substances,  as  easily  mixed 


2.3 

9-5 

II. 9 

2.3 

II. 6 

71 

2.1 

10.8 

II. 0 

.0 

4.0 

24.0 

2-3 

97 

12.4 

2.4 

8.6 

14.6 

It  PROPER   COMPOSITION    OF    FERTILIZERS. 

as  corn  meal,  shorts  and  middlings.  The  combinations  are  vastly 
superior  to  the  prepared  fertilizers  on  the  market,  chiefly  because 
they  are  entirely  soluble  and  contain  a  high  per  cent,  of  potash." 

The  general  conclusions  of  all  the  experiments  are  summed  up  as 
follows:  "On  an  average,  on  New  Hampshire  soils  and  with  general 
crops,  li.oo  invested  in  the  best  prepared  fertilizers  has  given  an  in- 
crease of  crop  valued  at  $2.34,  while  $1.00  invested  in  the  chemicals — 
dissolved  bone  black,  muriate  of  potash  and  sulphate  of  ammonia — 
has  given  an  increase  valued  at  $3.56,  a  difference  of  $1.22  in  favor  of 
and  due  entirely  to  the  substitution  of  chemicals  for  prepared  fer- 
tilizers, at  equal  cost." 

The  difference  is  due  chiefly  to  the  wrong  proportions  of  plant-food 
in  the  prepared  fertilizers,  and  more  to  the  deficiency  of  potash  than 
any  other  cause — 

{Phosphoric  Acid. . . .  12.0  per  cent. 
Potash 3.0        " 
Nitrogen 3.0        •• 

While  the  chemicals  that  give  best  results  (  Phosphoric  Acid. ...  8.6  per  cent. 

contain )  ^°*^^ >4*        " 

(  Nitrogen 2.4        •• 

NORTH    CAROLINA.   1895. 

Fertilizers — Trucking  in  the  South — By  W.  F.  Massey.      Bulletin  No. 
112,  page  83. 
"Few  if  any  of  the  brands  of  mixed  fertilizers  have  as  high  a  per- 
centage of  potash  as  most  truck  crops  require,  and  the  practice  of 
home  mixing  of  the  fertilizer  ingredients  is  annually  becoming  more 

common." 

MISSISSIPPI.   1893. 

Fertilizers — Sixth  Annual  Report,  page  42. 

"For  soils  containing  an  abundance  of  lime,  but  little  phosphoric 

acid  is  needed,  while  potash  in  some  form  has  always  invariably  given 

good  results." 

KENTUCKY.    1888. 

By  M.  a.  Scovell,  Lexington.     Bulletin  No.  17,  1889. 

"The  results  are  so  marked  as  to  strongly  indicate  that  for  corn 
potash  is  a  fertilizer  needed  on  the  soil  of  the  Experiment  Station  Farm. 

"This  holds  true  for  potatoes  also.  The  results  on  hemp  and 
tobacco  prove  the  same  to  be  true  of  these  crops,  and  there  are  strong 
indications  that  the  wheat  will  be  greatly  benefited  by  the  application 


APPLES.  19 

of  potash.  This  would  indicate  also  that  the  soils  of  like  character  in 
the  Blue  Grass  Region  would  be  benefited  by  potash  fertilizers,  but 
this  actual  trial  can  only  demonstrate. 

*'There  were  last  year  legally  on  sale  in  this  State  forty-three 
different  brands  of  fertilizers  containing  less  than  2  percent,  of  potash; 
should  we  have  applied  any  of  these  to  our  soil  for  corn,  no  marked 
increased  yield  would  have  been  apparent,  not  because  the  fertilizers 
were  worthless,  but  because  they  did  not  contain  the  potash  necessary 
for  corn  crop  on  our  soil." 

MASSACHUSETTS   (Hatch    Station).    1892. 

Special  Corn  Fertilizer  vs.  A  Fertilizer  Containing  a  Larger  Proportion  of 
Potash.     Bulletin  No.  18.     April,  1892,  page  90. 

"This  experiment  appears,  then,  to  indicate  the  correctness  of  the 
opinion  that  the  so-called  ^special  corn  fertilizers'  contain  the  elements 
of  plant-food  in  unsuitable  proportions  for  our  common  soils.  There 
is  especially  too  much  phosphoric  acid  and  too  little  potash. 

"Farmers  can,  I  believe,  as  a  rule,  do  better  than  to  buy  them; 
they  should  rather  buy  the  materials  needed  and  mix  for  themselves." 

NEW   JERSEY.    1892. 

Fertilizers — Thirteenth  Annual  Report,  page  27. 

"The  increased  yields  from  chemical  manures  alone  and  through- 
out a  series  of  years  have  been  more  satisfactory  and  profitable  than 
those  from  the  use  of  natural  manures.  The  most  progressive  and 
prosperous  truck  and  fruit  farmers  in  this  State  are  satisfied  of  this 
fact  and  buy  chemical  manures  only." 


APPLES. 

NEW   YORK   (Carnall    Station).   1894. 

Orchards — By  L.  H.  Bailey.     Bulletin  No.  72. 

"Potash  is  generally  the  most  important  element  to  be  applied 
directly  to  orchards,  particularly  after  the  trees  have  reached  bearing 
age. 

"Muriate  of  potash  is  perhaps  the  best  and  most  reliable  form  in 
which  to  supply  potash  at  the  present  time. 

"Potash  should  undoubtedly  be  the  leading  factor  in  orchard  fer- 
tilizers, and  nitrogen,  as  I  have  said,  may  be  obtained  mostly  by  means 
of  tillage  and  green  crops." 


20  ASPARAGUS — BEANS — CLOVER. 

1895. 
By*L.  H.  Bailey.     Bulletin  No.  84. 

"Potash  is  considered  to  be  the  dominant  factor  in  fruit  producr 
tion;  this  and  phosphoric  acid  should  be  added  each  year." 

ASPARAGUS. 

MARYLAND,    1892. 

On  March  14th,  1892,  the  following  letter  from  a  truck  farmer,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  was  received: 

"Relative  to  the  use  of  kainit  on  my  asparagus  bed,  would  say  that 
I  have  tried  all  kinds  of  fertilizers,  and  none  have  ever  given  one-half 
the  result  of  kainit.  I  used  it  in  a  generous  manner,  say  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  ton  to  an  acre.  I  have  been  a  successful  asparagus 
grower  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  the  year  I  had  the  most  success 
was  when  I  put  a  ton  per  acre;  I  then  cut  $1,000  from  an  acre  and 
one-half  of  ground.  G.  W.  Ridgely, 

Liberty  Road,  Baltimore,  Md." 

BEANS. 

RHODE    ISLAND,    1890. 

By  C.  O.  Flagg,  Director.     Third  Annual  Report. 

"2.  An  application  of  sulphate  of  potash  increased  the  yield  38 
per  cent." 

CLOVER.  J^ 

NEW   JERSEY,    1884.  J 

By  C.  W.  Larison,  Ringoes,  Hunterdon  Co.     Fifth  Annual  Report.. 
"Muriate  of  Potash  alone  increased  the  yield  by  over  1,300  lbs." 

1889. 

By  A.  P.  Arnold,  Vineland,  Cumberland  Co.  Tenth  Annual  Report. 
"This  ends  the  second  year  of  the  four  years'  rotation  on  this 
farm.  No  fertilizers  were  applied  in  1889;  the  experiment  shows, 
therefore,  the  accumulative  effect  of  the  applications  during  the  pre- 
ceding seven  years.  The  residue  of  plant-food  previously  applied 
was  effective  in  increasing  the  value  of  the  crop  in  a  very  marked  de- 
gree, ranging  from  $4.13  to  $32.76.  In  considering  the  total  net  gain 
for  eight  years,  it  is  to  be  seen  that  muriate  of  potash  applied  alone 
produced  the  largest  profit  from  the  investment,  viz.-  S88.49,  from  an 
Qutiay  of  ^21.00. 


CORN.  21 

f'**Continued   application    of   barn-yard    manure   is  not  the  most 
economical  method  of  supplying  plant  food." 


NORTH    CAROLINA,    1882.  v?*T|? 

By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.     Fifth  Annual  Report,  page  75. 

"The  results  are  favorable.  A  very  distinct  and  important  effect 
of  kainit  is  to  suppress  the  growth  of  weeds  and  the  coarser,  rougher 
grasses  in  meadows." 

CORN. 

CONNECTICUT,    1889. 

By  M.  H.  Dean,  Lime  Rock.     Second  Annual  Report,  1889. 
Soil — A  river  terrace  formation  (on  the  Housatonic  River). 

"The  most  marked  effect  came  from  use  of  potash  salts.  In 
every  case  where  potash  was  omitted  there  was  a  marked  falling  off 
in  the  yield  of  grain,  and  the  stalks  were  small  and  slender." 

*'The'  average  gain  from  the  use  of  potash  is  three  times  that  from 
nitrogen.  Potash  was  plainly  the  'regulating  ingredient'  in  the  ex- 
periment." 

By   Marion    H.    Dean,    Falls   Village.       Second    Annual    Report. 
Soil^Light  sandy  loam  (on  the  Housatonic  River). 

"The  most  marked  features  of  the  experiment  are  the  heavy  in- 
crease; resulting  from  the  use  of  potash,  and  the  very  slight  benefit 
arising  from  the  use  of  phosphoric  acid.  After  deducting  the  average 
yield  for  the  nothing  plots,  from  plots  i,  2  and  3,  it  is  found  that  potash 
aiorie  increased  the  yield  eight  times  over  the  nitrate  of  soda  plot, 
and  fifty  times  over  the  phosphoric  acid  plot.  With  corn  estimated 
at  50  cents  per  bushel,  and  stover  at  18. 00  per  ton,  the  financial  results 
on  these  three  plots  are:  From  the  use  of  nitrate  of  soda,  $1.77  loss; 
from  the  use  of  dissolved  borie  black,  $3  76  loss,  and  from  the  muriate 
of. potash,  $13.17  gain." 

1891. 

By  H.  W.  Sadd  &  Sons,  Wapping.     Fourth  Annual  Report. 
Soil^^Light  loam. 

"A  fertilizer  containing  all  the  three  ingredients — nitrogen,  phos- 
phoric acid  and  potash,  with  the  potash  in  quite  large  proportions — 
seems  to  be  the  best  mixture  for  corn  on  this  soil." 


22 


CORN. 


RESULTS  OBTAINED   AT  THE  INDIANA  EXPERIMENT   STATION. 

INDIANA,   1895. 

By   H.   a.    Huston,    Lafayette.      Bulletin    No.    57,    1895. 
Soil — unproductive  peat.    Interesting  experiments  show  tha|  unpro- 
ductive peat  soils  can  be  made  very  productive  by  the  single  use  of 
kainit. 

"In  this  experiment  it  appears  that  the  best  yield  was  obtained 
from  the  use  kainit;  the  next  best  from  the  use  of  kainit  and  lime. 

"But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  on  both  plots  4  and  9,  where  kainit  and 
lime  were  used,  that  the  yield  is  less  than  where  kainit  alone  was  used. 
Commercial  bearings  of  the  work: 

"The  net  returns  from  the  use  of  one  ton  of  kainit  per  acre  are  not 
less  than  54  bushels  per  acre  for  four  years,  or  a  total  of  2 16  bushels.  A 
ton  of  kainit  can  be  purchased  and  distributed  on  any  field  in  Indiana 
for  not  more  than  I20.  During  these  years  the  average  selling  price  of 
corn  at  this  point  is  estimated  at  35  cents,  giving  a  return  of  $75.60 
for  the  investment  of  $20." 

KENTUCKY.   1888. 
By  M.  a.  Scovell  Lexington.     Bulletin  No.  17,  1889.     Soil — Blue 
grass.     The  results  indicated  that  a  large  increase  resulted  from  an 
application  of  potash  (an  Increase  of  from  30  to  50  bushels  of  ear 
corn  per  acre.) 


CORN,  23 

"In  examining  these  results  it  will  be  noticed:  That  in  those  plots 
where  potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients  of  the  fertilizer  applied,  there 
was  a  marked  increase  in  the  yield  of  corn  and  fodder. 

*That,  therefore,  potash  was  what  caused  the  great  increase  in 
both  yields  of  corn  and  fodder. 

"Plot  2  received  at  the  rate  of  loo  lbs.  of  potash  per  acre,  and  the 
yield  of  corn  was  63.4  bushels.  Plot  7a  received  at  the  rate  of  160  lbs. 
of  sulphate  of  potash  per  acre,  and  the  yield  was  80  bushels.  This 
would  indicate  that  100  lbs.  of  sulphate  of  potash  per  acre  was  not 
sufficient  to  produce  a  maximum  crop.  It  is  probable  that  even  160 
lbs.  was  not  sufficient  to  produce  the  best  results. 

''Proceeding  to  a  discussion  of  these  results  it  appears:  i.  That 
there  was  a  profit  in  every  instance  where  potash  was  used.  Potash 
used  alone  on  plot  7  b.  yielding  the  largest  profit." 

1889. 
Bv  M.  A.  ScovELL,  Director  at  the  Station.      Bulletin  No.  ^^. 
Soil — Blue  grass;  limestone  soil.     The  results  obtained  this  year  are 
almost  identical  with  those  of  the  last  two  years,  that  is: 

"i.  That  in  those  plots  where  potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients 
of  the  fertilizers  used,  there  was  a  marked  increased  yield  both  in  corn 
and  fodder. 

"a.  That  in  plot  15,  where  a  fertilizer  was  used  without  potash, 
there  was  scarcely  any  increase  in  yield  over  those  plots  containing  no 
fertilizer. 

"3.  That  the  greatest  increased  yield  was  made  by  using  a  com- 
bination of  potash  and  nitrogen. 

"4.  The  use  of  muriate  of  potash  alone  resulted  in  a  marked  in- 
creased yield  over  the  plots  containing  no  fertilizers. 

"5.  That  there  was  a  profit  in  the  use  of  fertilizers  in  every  instance 
where  potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients— the  largest  net  profit  arising 
from  the  use  of  the  mixture  of  nitrate  of  sodium  and  muriate  of  potash. 

"6.  That  there  was  a  loss  by  the  use  of  fertilizers  where  potash 
was  not  one  of  the  ingredients. 

"7.     That  so  far  potash  has  shown  its  effect  the  third  season  after 

application." 

1893. 
By  M.  a.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  45. 

"The  largest  increase  of  ear  corn  produced  by  fertilizers  was  29.4 
bushels  from  a  combination  of  muriate  of  potash,  with  nitrate  of  soda. 


CORK.  35 

Complete  mixture  produced  29.1  bushels  increase.  The  largest  in- 
crease of  fodder  was  1910  lbs.  from  the  complete  mixture,  and  1330 
lbs.  from  the  muriate  of  potash  and  nitrate  of  soda.  The  best  financial 
result  came  from  the  plot  fertilized  with  muriate  of  potash  and  nitrate 
of  soda,  amounting  to  $4.46  per  acre.  The  next  best  was  from  muriate 
ut  potash  alone,  amounting  to  $4.34  per  acre."  ■    vk 

The  Permanency  of  Effect  of  Potash  Fertilizer s^^wW^xXn  No.  45^      The 

after  effect  of  potash  was  studied  from  the  yield  of  a  field  to  which 

potash  was  applied  in  1888. 

"By  a  study  of  these  tables  it  will  be  seen  that  potash  fertilizers 
applied  in  1888  were  of  benefit  to  the  crops  up  to  and  including  1891, 
and  even  to  some  extent  in  1892.  - 

"2.  That  those  plots  receiving  fertilizer  in  1889  and  subsequently, 
still  show  its  effect  on  the  crop  of  1892.  It  would  seem,  therefore, 
that  potash  fertilizers  supplied  to  our  soil  in  the  quantities  given  show 
their  effect,  not  only  on  the  first  crop,  Jput  also  on  the  three  subsequent 
crops,  and  to  some  extent  on  the  fourth." 

MAINE,    1886. 

By  a.  p.  Starret,  Warren.     Report  for  1886-87.     Soil — Clay  loam. 
The  mixed  minerals  produced  an  increase  of  66.7  bushels  of  corn. 
"When  bone  black  was  used  alone,  the  crop  was  very  little  better 
than  when  no  fertilizer  was.applied,  but  when  this  was  combined  with 
muriate  of  potash,  the  crop  increased  eight-fold." 

1891. 

By  I.  O.  WiNSLOw,  St.  Albans.     Annual  Report  for  1891,  page  124. 

*'In  this  experiment  nitrate  of  soda  and  muriate  of  potash  gave 
not  only  the  largest  yield,  but  produced  the  increase  in  crop  at  the. 
least  expense  for  fertilizers." 

MASSACHUSETTS   ^Hatch    Station),    1889. 

By  Bole  Bros.,  Shelburne.     Bulletin  No.  9,  May,  1890.     Soil — Good 
medium  loam. 

"These  comparisons  make  it  evident  that  in  this  soil  potash  was 
the  ingredient  most  needed.  Alone,  and  in  combination,  it  produced 
a  profitable  increase." 

By  W.  p.  Brooks,  Station  at  Amherst.     Bulletin  No.  9,  May,  1896. 
Soil — Alluvial.     Potash  produced  a  profit  of  $8.66  per  acre. 

"These  combinations  make  it  evident  that  this  soil  needed  potash. 
Neither  alone  nor  in   combination  did  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid 


S6  CORK 

appear  to  do  much  good,  and,  in  some  cases,  the  result  of  their  use 
was  an  apparent  decrease  in  the  crop     .     . 

"Potash,  on  the  other  hand,  appears  to  have  been  always  and 
everywhere  greatly  beneficial.  When  used  alone  or  in  combination, 
it  invariably  caused  a  large  increase  in  the  crop,  and  its  use  was 
always  exceedingly  profitable. 

"The  lesson  of  this  experiment' is  plain.  For  our  soil  potash 
should,  for  the  .present,  be  the  most  prominent  ingredient  of  every 
fertilizer  used. 

"General  Summary — Results  of  the  use  of  potash:  This  ingre- 
dient has  produced  an  increase  of  crop  varying  from  1.9  bushels  of 
hard  corn  per  acre  to  22.8  bushels;  and  also  from  150  lbs.  of  stover  per 
acre  to  1420  lbs.  It  has  proved  more  useful*  in  its  average  effect  upon 
the  production  of  hard  corn  than  either  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid, 
in  four  out  of  eight  experiments,  and  in  another  it  stands  on  an 
equality  with  nitrogen  in  this  respect." 

1890. 
By    W.    S.    Phillips,    Marblehead.      Bulletin   No.    14,   May,    1891. 
Soil — Fine  gravelly  loam. 

"The  results  of  the  use  of  nitrogen  and  potash  are  quite  similar  in 
kind,  though  potash  causes  the  larger  and,  the  most  profitable  increase. 

"For  this  soil  I  should  advise  a  fertilizer  rich  in  potash,  contain- 
ing minerals  to  furnish  about:  Potash  80  lbs.;  nitrogen,  25  lbs.,  and 
phosphoric  acid,  25  lbs. 

By  Frank  Wheeler,  Concord.     Bulletin  No.  14,  May,  1891. 
Soil — Good  sandy  loam. 

''Notwithstanding  the  high  condition  of  the  soil,  the  potash 
wherever  used  produced  a  very  perceptible  improvement  from  the  first 

"These  combinations  make  it  evident  that  on  this  soil  potash  was 
the  ingredient  most  needed,  but  it  produces  its  most  marked  increase 
when  used  with  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  and  more  when  used 
with  either  of  these  than  when  used  alone.'' 

By  a.  D.  Copeland,  Bridgewater.      Bulletin  No.   14,   May,   1891 
Soil — Very  poor  gravelly  loam. 

"The  soil  needed  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash;  but  the  lat- 
ter to  a  far  greater  degree  than  either  of  the  others.  They,  if  potash 
also  was  present,  produced  a  considerable  increase;  but  if  it  was 
absent,  only  a  very  small  one.  The  two  together  are  almost  powerless 
to  increase  the  crop.     Potash,  on  the  other  hand,  even  alone  caused 


COKN.  37 

considerable  increase;  with  either  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid  the 
increase  due  to  potash  is  doubled;  with  both  of  them  and  potash,  the 
increase  due  to  the  latter  is  doubled  yet,  a  gain  amounting  to  .no  less 
than  17  bushels  of  corn  per  acre."  ..^, 

By  Pliny  Moore,  Worcester.     Bulletin  No.  14,  May,  1891.     ^- 
Soil — Good  medium  loam. 

*'The  striking  benefit  of  potash  as  compared  with  nitrogen  ,and 
phosphoric  acid  is  clearly  brought  out  by  these  comparisons. 

"For  corn  on  this  soil  I  should,  .recommend  the  use  of  fertilizer 
rich  in  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  and  with  a  small  percentage  of 
nitrogen.'*  ,  ,  ^ 

By  L.  W.  West,.Hadley.  Bulletin  No.  14,  May  1891.  Soil — A  clayey 
loam,  with  clayey  subsoil.  A  gain  of  $40.46  per  acre  has  been  pro- 
duced by  fertilizers  rich  in  potash. 

**A1]  through  the  season  it  was  evident  that  the  growth  was  far 
more  benefited  by  potash  than  by  any  other  ejiement. 

"These  figures  make  evident  in  a  striking  manner  the  beneficial 
effect  of  potash. 

"Alone,  and  in  every  coi;i[^binatiQn,  potash  produces  a  remarkable 
increase;  but  nitrate  of  soda,  too,  seems  to  have  been  required,  for  the 
combination  of  this  with  potash  produces  a  much  larger  crop  than 
potash  alone.  , 

"For  this  soil  I  am  confident  that  the, most  profitable  results  would 
be  obtained  by  using  light  dressing  of  manure  with  a  little  quick-acting 
nitrogenous  fertilizer  and  a  considerable  amount  of  potash." 
By  D.  B.  Dewey,  New  Lenon.     Bulletin  No.   14,  May,  1891, 
Soil — A  fine  compact  loam,  inclined  clayey  and  cold.     A  profit  of 
$8.25  wgs  obtained  by  potash. 

"In  July  the  plots  which  had  received  potash  appeared  to  be 
doing  distinctly  better  than  the  others. 

"These  comparisons  make  it  evident  that  this  soil  most  needed 
potash,  which  alone  and  in  nearly  every  combination  seemed  to  have 
produced  a  profitable  increase. 

"For  this  soil  it  is  evident  that  for  corn,  a  fertilizer  should  be  rich 
in  potash." 

By  W.  p.  Brooks,  Station  Grounds,  South  Acre,  Amherst.  Bulletin 
No.  14,  May,  1 89 1.     Soil^— A  fine  yellow  loam. 

"These  comparisons  make  it  evident  that  this  soil. still  needs 
potash  in  greater  amount  than  either  of  the  other  elements  of  plant- 


28  cokK. 

/ood.  The  gain  from  its  use  alone  on  plot  4  amounts  to  no  less  than 
I14.66,  Other  plots  gave  larger  crops;  but  no  other  equalled  this  one 
in  point  of  profit  on  the  fertilizer  used.  The  result  last  year  was  simi- 
lar; and  it  is  true  for  both  years  that,  even  if  labor  be  taken  into  ac- 
count, the  plot  where  potash  alone  was  used  gave  the  largest  net  profiH. 

•'If  fertilizer  only  is  to  be  used,  I  would  recommend  materials 
which  would  supply  per  acre  about  80  lbs.  of  actual  potash,  30  lbs.  of 
phosphoric  acid,  and  20  lbs.  of  nitrogen  in  available  forms."  ' 

By  W,  P.  Brooks,  Station  Grounds,  North  Half  Acre,  Amherst. 
Bulletin  No.  14,  May,  1891. 

"The  teaching  of  the  results  brought  out  by  these  comparisons  is 
plain.  The  soil  most  needs  potash  for  the  profitable  production  of 
corn,  and  this  would  be  supplied  to  the  full  extent  used  in  our  ex- 
periments." 

By  G.  L.  Cooley,  North  Half  Acre,  Sunderland.  Bulletin  No.  14, 
May,  1891.  A  gain  of  $13.92  pef  acre  was  obtained  by  the  use  of 
potash. 

"The  indication  is  very  strong  that  the  fertilizer  for  corn  must  b6 
rich  in  potash  to  give  profitable  returns  on  this  land. 

"Conclusions: 

"i.     Our  results  show  that  soils  differ  widely  in  their  requirements. 

"2.  Potash,  however,  proves  much  more  largely  beneficial  than 
cither  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid. 

"3.  Potash,  as  a  general  rule,  most  largely  increases  the  yield  of 
grain  and  stbver;  but  its  effect  upon  stover  production  is  greater  thaii 
upon  grain  production. 

"Barn-yard  manures  are,  as  a  general  rule,  relatively  deficient  in 
potash,  probably  because  of  the  loss  of  a  large  proportion  oi  the  urine 
which  contains  about  four-fifths  of  the  total  potash  of  the  excretions." 

1892. 

By  F.  E  Clark,  Wilbraham.  bulletin  No.  18,  1892.  Potash  pro- 
duced a  gain  of  $12.72. 

"The  comparisons  indicate  the  surpassing  importance  of  potash 
for  corn  upon  this  soil,  thus  confirming  the  general  result  of  the  work 
with  corn  during  the  two  preceding  years.  In  view  of  the  almostuni- 
versal  response  of  corn  to  this  fertilizer  lipori  soils  of  so  many  different 
classes,  and  of  all  degrees  of  fertility,  and  in  so  many  widely  separated 
localities,  the  conclusion  that  it  should  te  a  prominent  ingredient  for 
fertilizers  used  in  this  crop  appears  to  be  irresistible." 


CORN.  29 

The  Results  of  the  Addition  of  Potash  to  Barn-Yard  Manure 
FOR  Corn.  Bulletin  No.  i3,  April,  1892,  page  87.  The  result  ob- 
tained by  barn-yard  manure  was  compared  with  that  obtained  by 
the  application  of  a  smaller  quantity  of  barn-yard  manure  mixed 
with  potash  salts. 

"These  figures  and  comparisons  show  that  the  manure  alone  pro- 
duces slightly  the  better  crop,  but  estimating  manure  at  $5  per  cord 
and  muriate  of  potash  at  $45  per  ton,  shelled  corn  at  65  cents  per 
bushel  and  stover  at  $5  per  ton,  we  find  that  the  manure  and  potash, 
although  producing  a  slightly  less  valuable  crop,  gave  a  financial 
result  nearly  $9  better  than  manure  alone." 

Special  Corn  Fertilizer  vs.  a  Fertilizer  Containing  a  Larger 
Proportion  of  Potash.  Bulletin  No.  18,  April  1892,  page  90. 
"In  view  of  confirmatory  results  of  the  past  year's  work,  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  previous  years,  I  renew  with  increased  confidence 
the  recommendations  for  the  application  of  fertilizers  for  corn,  made 
in  Bulletin  No.  14  of  this  Station: 

"(a)  In  breaking  up  sod-land  for  corn,  particularly  that  which  is 
in  fair  condition,  but  which  has  been  under  ordinary  farm  manage- 
ment, if  fertilizers  only  are  to  be  used,  apply  those  which  are  rich  in 
potash.  Use  materials  which  will  supply  80  to  100  lbs.  of  actual  pot- 
ash, from  25  to  30  lbs.  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  from  15  to  20  lbs.  of 
nitrogen  per  acre. 

"(b)  If  'special  corn  fertilizer'  is  to  be  used,  apply  only  a  moderate 
quantity,  say  400  to  500  lbs.  per  acre,  and  use  with^about  125  lbs.  of 
muriate  of  potash.  It  is  believed  this  combination  will  produce  as 
good  a  crop  as  800  to  1,000  lbs.  of  'corn  fertilizer,'  and  it  will  cost 
considerably  less. 

"(c)  With  ordinary  barn-yard  manure  or  stable  manure  for  corn, 
use  potash.  I  would  recommend  using  about  4  cords  of  manure  and 
100  lbs.  of  muriate  potash  per  acre. 

"(g)  For  fodder  or  ensilage  corn,  use  either  in  fertilizers  or  with 
manure  about  one-fourth  more  potash  than  above  recommended." 

1895. 
By  William  P.  Brooks,  Agriculturist.     Thirteenth  Annual  Report. 
^  "i.     The  application  of  muriate  of  potash  has  so  invariably  in- 
creased the  yield  of  both  stover  and  grain  that  the  conclusion  is  irre- 
sistible that  potash  should   be  more  abundant  in  fertilisers  for  this 
crop  than  is  usually  the  ca§c, 


30  CORK.' 

**a.  There  is  miich  evidence  that  the  fertilizer  for  one  acre  should 
furnish  at  least  80  to  100  pounds  of  actual  potash. 

"3.  A  Corn  fertilizer  containing  5  per  cent,  of  potash,  applied  at 
the  rate  of  1,000  lbs.  j^er  acre,  furnishes  50  lbs.  of  actual  potash.  With 
such  a  fertilizer  it  will  pay  to  use  from  75  to  100  lbs.  of  muriate  of 
potash  per  acre. 

"4.  Four  cords  of  average  farm-yard  manure  will  supply  about 
96  lbs.  of  actual  potash;  but  not  all  of  this  will  be  available  the  first 
year,ii[ence  it  will  in  most  cases  be  found  profitable  to  use  with  this 
manure  75  to  100  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash  for  corn." 

MISSISSIPPI,    1890. 

By  Prof.  Connell,  at  the  Station.  Third  Annual  Report,  1890. 
Soil:— Sandy  clay  hill. 

"Four  hundred  pounds  of  kainit  used  alone  produced  the  highest 
profit  from  the  crop,  amounting  to  I17.66  per  acre." 

1893. 

By  S.  M.  Tracy,  Director.  Sixth  Annual  Report.  The  following 
are  the  results  of  three  years'  experimenting  upon  corn: 

"In  1 89 1  the  plots  receiving  250  pounds  of  kainit  yielded  36.9 
bushels  per  acre,  an  increase  of  10. i  bushels  per  acre,  costing  17.9 
cents  per  bushel  for  the  increase. 

"In  1892  corn  was  planted  on  a  heavy  red  clay  soil  from  which 
the  surface  soil  had  been  badly  washed,  and  which  had  givren  a  ve*^y 
light  crop  of  lespedeza  the  previous  season.  Here  the  unfertilized 
check  plots  made  an  average  of  only  18.5  bushels  per  acre.  Cotton 
seed  meal  and  kainit  increased  the  yield  24,7  bushels;  250  lbs.  of  kainit 
made  a  yield  of  33  bushels. 

"In  1893  unfertilized  plots  made  an  average  yield  of  only  25.6 
bushels  per  acre  ....  while  500  lbs.  of  kainit  applied  broadcast 
before  planting  more  than  doubled  the  yield,  making  an  average  of 
62.3  bushels  of  shelled  corn  per  acre.  The  cost  of  the  increase  of  36.7 
bushels  per  acre  was  a  trifle  less  than  ten  cents  per  bushel." 

MISSOURI.    1890. 
By  H.  J.  Waters,  AssidTANt  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  14,  April, 
1891.  ■ 
"So  far  it  appears  from  these  trials  that  potash  is  the  clement 
most  desired  by  corn  on  our  land." 


CORN.  U 

NEW    HAMPSHIRE.    1888. 

By  G.  H.  Whitcher,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  6.     The  experiments 

cover  a  period  of  four  years  (1885-88).    The  results  show  that  potash 

is  the  leading  element  of  plant-food  in  this  soil,  phosphoric  acid  is 

also  needed  in  small  amounts,  while  there  is  little  need  of  nitrogen. 

Where  potash  was  omitted  there  was  no  increase  of  crop. 

"From  what  has  been  said  it  is  evident  that  potash  stands  first, 

phosphoric  acid  second,  and  nitrogen  last.      In  fact,  we  should  use 

nitrogen   but   sparingly,   and   only   when   direct   experimental   work 

proves  it  to  be  beneficial. 

'These  results,  almost  without  exception,  seem  to  warrant  the 
conclusion  already  expressed  that  potash  and  not  phosphoric  acid  is 
the  controlling  factor. 

"Experiments  made  in  other  parts  of  the  State  on  soils  differing 
greatly  from  the  Connecticut  River  land,  show  even  more  marked  re- 
sults." 

1889. 

Co-oPERATivE  Experiments  by  G.  H.  Whitcher,  Director.  Bulletin 
No.  10,  March,  1890.  The  object  in  view  in  making  these  ex- 
periments was  to  find  out  what  composition  of  fertilizers  would  suit 
best  for  the  State  at  large.  Another  object  was  to  compare  the 
effect  of  artificial  fertilizers  with  the  effect  of  stable  manure,  and 
also  to  investigate  if  the  composition  of  mixed  fertilizers  as  they  are 
usually  sold  in  the  State  is  best  suited  to  the  crops.  Ten  dollars' 
worth  of  fertilizerand  fifteen  dollars  worth  of  manure  were  used  per 
acre.  The  experiment  demonstrated  that  artificial  fertilizers  are 
equal  in  effect,  if  not  superior,  to  stable  manure,  and  that  commercial 
fertilizers  are  deficient  in  potash. 

"The  effect  on  husked  corn  from  manure  was  89.69  bushels,  from 

the  best  three  combinations  of  chemicals  90.62  bushels,  from  prepared 

fertilizers  63.58  bushels,  from  ashes  65.40  bushels,  and  from  plots  not 

fertilized  41.00  bushels. 

''Comparison  of  composition  of  fertilizer  mixtures  that  produced 

best  results  with  the  average  composition    of    eighteen  commercial 

fertilizers  sold  in  New  Hampshire  in  1890: 

Chemical?  Producing  Average  of  Fertilizer? 

Best  Results.  sold  in  N.  H.  in  1890. 

Phosphoric  Acid 9. 25  per  cent.  1 1.08  per  cent. 

Potash 11-3       "■  2  57'       •* 

Nitrogen 3.5  *«'  3.4$        " 


32  CORK. 

"The  difference  is  very  easily  seen,  and  we  are  forced  to  conclude 
that. our  fertilizers  are  deficient  in  potash." 

NEW    JERSEY.    1883. 

By  John  Voqrhees,  South  Branch,  Somerset  Co,  Annual  Report 
'  for  1883,  page  52.     Soil — Red  shale  loam. 

"Plots  on  which  potash  was  used,  both  alone  and  in  combination 

with  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen,  show  an  enormous  increase  in  yield. 

.     Plot  4  (potash  alone)  shows  that  an  outlay  of  $3.25  per  acre 

increased  the  yield  of  corn  29.5  bushels,  and  stalks  1,000  lbs.,  a  net 

profit  of  $16.00. 

"The  application  of  potash  yields  large  profits  in  every  case;  phos- 
phoric acid  was  profitable  in  one  case  only,  and  that  when  in  combina- 
tion with  potash;  nitrogen  does  not  increase  the  yield  in  any  case. 

"The  quality  of  corn  was  also  favorably  influenced  by  the  use  of 
potash,  a  fact  indicated  by  the  increase  in  yield  of  soft  corn,  which  in 
every  case  varied  considerably.  These  results  confirm  those  obtained 
last  year  by  Rev.  Henry  P.  Thompson,  of  Readington,  whose  farm  is 
situated  about  three  miles  northeast  of  Southbrook, 

"Both  experiments  show  that  large  profits  were  derived  from  the 
use  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  though  the  effect  of  potash  alone  is 
more  striking  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Voorhees,  the  soil  of  this  section 
being  mostly  red  shale  loam.  And  it  is  more  than  probable  that  these 
experiments  by  Mr.  Thompson  and  Mr.  Voorhees  may  serve  as  guides 
in  the  use  of  fertilizers  to  all  farmers  upon  similar  soils." 

1884 

By  N.  S.  Sergent,  Schooleys  Mountain,  Morris  Co.     Fifth  Annual 
Report.     Soil — Gneissic. 

"Muriate  of  potash,  both  alone  and  in  combination,  had  a  notice- 
able effect  upon  both  grain  and  stalks." 

By  J.  W.  Dalrymple,  Hopewell  River,   Mercer  Co.      P'ifth  Annual 
Report.     Soil — Red  shale. 

"Potash    and    its    combinations   being   relatively   cheaper,    give 

largest  profits." 

1886. 

By  T.  H.  West,  College  Farm,  New  Brunswick.     Seventh  Annual 
Report. 
"Of  all  elements,  potash  influences  stalk  development  most  favor- 
ably, and  when  used  alone,  its  yields  excel  those  from  its  combinations.' 


CORN.  33 

By  a.  p.  Arnold,  Vineland,  Cumberland  Co.  Seventh  Annual 
Report.     Soil — Very  sandy  loam. 

Financial  results:  "Potash  influenced  the  profits  in  a  very  marked 
manner,  the  increased  returns  from  its  use  were  sufficient  to  leave  a 
balance  of  $21.59  after  fertilizer  charges  had  been  met  and  due  credit 
allowed  for  the  product  from  the  unmanured  ground;  $21.59  is  180 
per  cent,  of  $12.00,  the  cost  of  600  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash." 

1888. 

Results  of  Experiments  Since  1882.  The  experiments  on  corn 
by  Mr.  Thompson  and  Mr.  Voorhees  were  valuable  in  showing  the 
positive  effect  of  potash,  and,  Mr.  Thompson's  experiment  reported 
in  1882,  indicated  that  while  all  fertilizing  elements  were  effective, 
the  largest  profit  for  the  money  invested  was  secured  from  the  use 
of  potash.  The  calculated  net  profits  from  and  the  percentage  re- 
turns on  the  money  invested  per  acre  for  the  effective  elements  are 
as  follows: 

Per  Cent. 

Cost.  Net  Profit.        on  Money 

Invested. 

Nitrogen,  Phosphoric  Acid,  Potash $i4-35  $  4-i9  28 

Phosphoric  Acid  and  Potash  .. .    9.00  i5-5o  172 

Phosphoric  Acid , 5.25  10.15  193 

Potash 3.75  13.65  364 

"The  returns  on  the  money  invested  range  from  28  per  cent,  to 
364  per  cent.  Mr.  Thompson  has  continued  the  use  of  potash  upon 
corn  and  has  secured  uniformly  profitable  results  up  to  the  present 
time.  His  experience  also  shows  that  kainit,  while  it  costs  more  per 
pound  of  actual  potash  than  muriate  of  potash,  has  been  more 
economical. 

''The  experiment  of  Mr.  Voorhees,  reported  in  1883,  shows  that 
wherever  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen  were  used,  either  alone  or  to^ 
gether,  the  increase  in  yield  was  secured  at  a  loss;  that  muriate  of  potasf 
alone  costing  $3.25  per  acre,  increased  the  yield  of  corn  29J  bushels* 
and  the  stalks  by  1,000  lbs.,  that  when  potash  was  used  in  combination 
with  either  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid,  or  with  both,  as  in  complete 
manure,  the  increase  in  yield  secured  was  almost  proportional  to  the  in- 
crease secured  from  the  use  of  potash  alone.  That  is  to  say  an  addition 
of  nitrogen  to  potash,  or  of  both  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  to  potash 
reduced  the  percentage  of  profit  secured  from  the  use  of  potash  alone 
in  direct  proportion  to  the  cost  of  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid. 


34  CORN. 

"In  1884  Mr.  Voorhees,  governed  by  the  results  secured  in  1883, 
broadcasted  one  ton  of  muriate  of  potash,  costing  $40,  upon  13  acres 
of  corn  ground.  Careful  measurements  of  the  yield  from  this  area, 
compared  with  a  portion  of  the  field  left  unfertilized,  showed  an  in- 
crease of  30  bushels  of  ears  per  acre,  which,  at  ruling  prices  for  that 
year,  gave  a  net  profit  of  $57.50,  or  144  per  cent,  on  the  investment." 

NORTH    CAROLINA,    1882. 

By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.     Annual  Report  for  1882. 

"Many  of  the  effects  of  kainit  are  general  and  not  restricted  to 
cotton.  It  greatly  increases,  for  example,  the  yield  of  corn  on  certain 
cotton  land  when  applied  in  connection  with  lime." 

OHIO,    1889. 

By  B.  H.  Brown,  Butler  Co.     Bulletin  No.  i.     Soil — Stiff  clay.    The 

average  of  the  unfertilized  plot  was  24.9  bushels.     Increase  due  to 

potash  alone  was  18.3  bushels.     Increase  due  to  combined  minerals, 

23.7  bushels. 

"It  will  be  seen  that  in  this  test  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  seem 

to  have  been  most  effective  in  increasing  the  crop." 

Consideration   of   the    Results  of   the    FariMEr's    Experiments. 
Bulletin  No.  2.     From  the  table,  giving  the  results  of  the  eight  ex- 

)eriments  made,  it  is  to  be  seen  that  potash  alone  caused  an  increase 

>f   154  .bushels  in   Kicking  County,  and  of   18.3   in   Butler  County. 

From  the  combined  minerals  an  increase  was  produced  in  five  cases. 

RHODE  ISLAND,  1890. 
By  C.  O.  Flagg,  Experiment  Station,  Kingston.  Bulletin  No.  8. 
Average  yield  unnianured,  15.71  bushels.  The  highest  increase 
over  unmanured  45.71  bushels  from  mixed  minerals,  yielding  a  profit 
of  $33.85  Muriate  of  potash  alone  was  most  profitable  and  yielded 
an  increase  of  28.57  bushels,  worth  $20  70,  at  an  outlay  of  $3.60 
(more  than  600  per  cent,  profit). 
Conclusions: 

"i.  The  soil  appeared  to  be  deficient  in  potash,  phosphoric  acid 
and  nitrogen.  Potash  appeared  to  be  especially  lacking,  next  phos- 
phoric acid,  and  finally  nitrogen." 

WEST    VIRGINIA,    1893. 
By  D.  D.  Johnson,  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No   29,  page  8^.     Ex- 
periments were  made  at  four  places  in  this  State — in  Berkeley  County, 
in  Upshur  County,  in  Wood  County,  and  in  Putnam  County — for 


COTTON.  35 

the  purpose  of  comparing  the  results  from  muriate  of  potash,  sul- 
phate of  potash  magnesia  and  kainit  as  fertilizer  for  corn. 

"There  is  an  increased  yield  on  all  of  the  third  series  of  plots 
where  the  potash  fertilizer  is  supplied  by  sulphate  of  potash,  the  most 
remarkable  increase  being  on  plot  28,  where  sulphate  of  potash  alone 
is  used." 

COTTON. 

ALABAMA,   1890. 

Experiment  by  J.  S.  Newman,  Director,  and  Joseph  Clayton. 
Assistant  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  22. 

'*Kainit  causes  the  cotton  plant  to  retain  the  leaves,  while  they 
blighted  where  none  was  used.     ,     .     . 

"The  per  cent,  of  profit  from  a  judicious  use  of  fertilizers,  followed 
by  intelligent  cultivation,  is  most  satisfactory." 

ALABAMA    ^Auburn    Station),    1892. 

By  J.  H,  Radney,  Roanoke,  Randolph  Co.     Bulletin  No.  34. 
Soil — Sandy  loam.     Subsoil — Clay. 

"By  noticing  the  yield  from  plots  i,  2  and  3,  where  the  fertilizers 
were  applied  singly,  it  will  be  observed  that  muriate  of  potash  gives 
the  best  results." 

GEORGIA.    1893. 

By  R.  J.  Redding,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  20. 

"The  fertilizing  ingredients  contained  phosphoric  acid,  nitrogen 
and  potash  and  were  used  in  this  experiment  in  various  proportions,  in 
order  to  study  the  best  combination  of  the  fertilizer  for  cotton.  It 
was  found  that  a  fertilizer  containing  3  per  cent,  of  potash  produced 
the  best  results. 

"And  it  would  require  700  lbs.  of  such  a  fertilizer  per  acre  to  pro. 
duce  the  same  increase  on  similar  soil  to  that  of  the  experiment  under 
consideration.  In  other  words,  700  lbs.  of  a  fertilizer  analyzing  as  the 
above  may  reasonably  be  expected  to  increase  the  yield  of  land  in  fairly 
good  condition  by  1,000  lbs.  Such  an  amount  of  fertilizer  would  cost 
$8.00  or  $9.00,  and  the  increased  yield  of  cotton  would  therefore  cost 
about  80  or  90  cents  per  hundred  weight  of  seed  cotton,  or  less  than  3 
cents  per  pound  of  lint,  ready  to  gather  from  the  field.  The  results  of 
the  experiments  of  the  past  year  agree  substantially,  and  in  most  cases 
remarkably,  with  those  of  1891,  and  confirm  the  general  conclusion 
that  high  farming,  including  renovating  crops,  such  as  cowpeas  and 
other  legumes,  deep  preparation,  liberal  manuring,  select  seed,  and 
frequent  shallow  cultivation  is  the  solultion  of  the  problem  of  'how  to 
make  farming  pay.'     It  has  never  'paid'  to  coTitinually  cultivate  a  poor 


36  COTTON. 

and  unfertilized  soil,  and  it  never  will.  Fertilizers,  domestic  and  com- 
mercial, should  be  considered  in  the  nature  of  an  investment  that 
entails  but  little  expense  after  paying  the  first  cost,  and  they  generally 
repay  thb  cost  and  a  profit  of  from  loo  to  500  per  cent. 

Think  of  it:  We  have  shown  that  $8.00  worth  of  a  well-balanced 
fertilizer  may  be  expected  to  increase  the  yield  of  seed  cotton,  on  one 
^crc,  1,000  lbs.,  which  are  worth  $30,00,  leaving  $22.00  of  profit,  or  say 
$20.00,  which  is  250  per  cent,  on  the  cost. 

.  *'But  such  results  can  only  be  attained  by  concentrating  the  fer- 
tilizer on  the  best  land,  not  by  scattering  it  at  the  rate  of  100  or  200 
lbs.  to  the  acre  over  a  large,  worn-out  plantation.  These  remarks 
apply  with  more  or  less  force  to  all  crops,  and  especially  to  those  re- 
quiring a  large  amount  of  labor  per  acre,  and  particularly  to  cotton* 
tobacco  and  garden  crops." 

1894. 

By  R.  J.  Redding.     Bulletin  No.  27,  page  205. 

"Experiments  made  the  year  before  were  coniinued,  and  it  was 

found  that  by  far  the  best  results  were  obtained  from  a  fertilizer  which 

would  analyze  about  as  follows: 

Available  Phosphoric  Acid 10  per  cent. 

Potash 4 

Nitrogen 3 

LOUISIANA.  1889. 

By  W.  C.  Stubbs,  Director,  Baton  Rouge.     Bulletin  No.  26. 

'*In  plot  14  there  seems  to  be  almost  an  unmistakable  indication 
of  benefit  from  potash." 

MISSISSIPPI.    1889 

SEE  ILLUSTRAnoHr  ON   tOLlXtWlHii   PAGE. 

By  S.  M.  Tracy,  Director.    Annual  Report.    Soil — Stiff  clay,  very 
exhausted. 

*'It  will  be  seen  that  the  greatest  increase  of  yield  came  from  the 
plots  which  received  200  lbs.  of  kainit  per  acre,  and  that  this  increase 
was  secured  at  the  smallest  expense  per  ico  lbs. — 53  cents." 

1890. 
By  G.  J.  FiNLEY,  Holly  Springs  Branch  Station.    Third  Annual  Re- 
port.    Soil — Upland  clay  soil.     (Field  No.  i.)     Kainit  alone  pro- 
duced a  profit  of  $10.58. 

"The  yields  from  these  plots  indicate  very  clearly  the  necessity  for 
the  use  of  potash  fertilizers,  and  the  still  better  results  to  be  obtained 
by  the  use  of  a  fertilizer  containing  a  fair  amount  of  nitrogen  and 
phosphoric  acid  in  addition.  Plot  4,  which  received  200  lbs.  of  kainit, 
gave   the   largest  as  well  as  the   most  profitable  yield  of  any  plot 


COTTOM. 


37 


fertilized  witli  a  single  ingrredient,  and  a  larger  yield  than  did  plot  6, 
where  acid  phosphate  was  substituted  for  one-half  the  amount  of  kainit 
applied  to  plot  4. 

^The  Station  has  been  in  existence  three  years,  and  has  tested 
about  fifteen  fertilizers  each  season  on  the  yellow  clay  soils,  which  are 
typical  of  the  hill  regions  of  the  State.  It  has  been  our  uniform  ex- 
perience during  three  seasons  that  the  purchase  of  concentrated 
nitrogenous  fertilizers  is  not  profitable,  and  that  potash  fertilizers 
either  in  the  form  of  kainit,  sulphate  of  potash,  or  ashes,  have  alwajrs 
given  a  fair  profit.  We  have  also  found  that  a  fertilizer  containing  a 
large  percentage  of  potash  with  a  smaller  amount  of  phosphoric  acid 
has  invariably  given  a  greater  net  profit  than  has  any  single  commer- 
cialsalL" 


JLXrtMdMESm  OH    COTTOJ*   AT    THE.  Mi»»i»IPPI   STATiOi<ii. 

1893. 

By  S.  M.  Tracy,  Director,    Sixth  Annual  Report,  page  6,     From  a 

review  of  the  work  done  by  the  Station  for  several  years  in  regard  to 

fertilizers  upon  cotton,  the  following  is  quoted : 

"In  1889  thirty-eight  plots  were  used  for  tesu  of  fertilizers.    These 

were  on  a  heavy  clay  soil  in  an  old  field,  which  had  been  so  exhausted 


38  COTTON. 

by  cultivation  that  it  had  been  abandoned  for  many  years,  such  as  are 
not  frequent  in  the  hill  regions  of  the  State.  'Allen'  cotton  was 
used,  and  the  fertilizers  were  all  applied  broadcast  and  harrowed  in 
before  planting.  Taking  250  lbs.,  the  average  of  the  five  unfertilized 
check  plots,  as  the  standard,  the  greatest  increase  in  yield  came  from 
the  plots  receiving  200  lbs.  of  kainit  per  acre,  which  made  an  average 
yield  of  495  lbs.  per  acre.  .  .  .  The  cost  of  the  268  lbs.  of  increase 
front  the  plots  receiving  250  lbs.  of  kainit  was  70  cents  per  hundred, 
which  is  less  than  that  for  any  other  plot. 

"Field  No.  3  was  on  a  high  ground  with  a  very  uniform  yellow  loam 
soil,  which  had  been  in  cultivation  many  years  and  had  become  very 
much  exhausted.  It  w;as  planted  with  cow  peas  in  1890,  but  produced 
Dnly  a  small  crop,  which  was  plowed  under  in  January.  The  previous 
work  of  the  Station  had  pointed  so  strongly  to  the  necessity  for  using 
an  abundance  of  vegetable  matter  and  potash  on  such  soils,  which  are 
rich  in  lime,  that  this  field  was  used  for  a  comparison  of  the  regular 
*'Furman"  compost.  One  thousand  pounds  per  acre  of  the  compost 
was  used.  The  unfertilized  check  plots  made  an  average  yield  of  69*4 
pounds  of  seed  cotton  per  acre;  those  receiving  the  regular  "Furman" 
compost,  862  pounds;  while  those  receiving  the  more  liberal  supply 
of  potash,  with  no  phosphoric  acid  except  that  contained  in  the  manure 
and  seed,  made  an  average  yield  of  11 26  pounds  of  seed  cotton  per 
acre.  This  increase  was  secured  at  a  cost  of  $3.25  for  the  fertilizer 
used,  or  75  cents  per  hundred  pounds  of  seed  cotton.  Where  the 
regular  *'Furman"  compost  was  used  the  increase  was  only  1 78  pounds, 
or  26  per  cent.,  and  this  increase  was  secured  at  a  cost  of  $1.83  per 
hundred  pounds  of  seed  cotton.  .  .  .  Five  hundred  pounds  of 
kainit  without  the  compost  increased  the  yield  222  pounds. 

"All  of  the  soil  used  for  this  work  at  the  home  station  has  been  rich 
in  lime  and  very  poor  in  humus.  From  the  work  which  has  been  done 
here  during  the  last  five  years  the  results  have  been  quite  uniform, 
and  indicate  very  plainly  that  for  such  soils  the  first  work  in  restora- 
tion must  be  the  providing  of  a  liberal  supply  of  humus,  which  may 
come  from  either  stable  manure,  cotton  seed,  or  the  plowing  under  of 
green  leguminous  crops,  and  that  any  additional  fertilizers  used  should 
be  rich  in  potash,  though  they  need  contain  but  little  phosphoric  acid." 
Holly  Springs  Branch  Station. 

"A  number  of  the  fertilizer  tests  which  have  been  made  at  the 
Station  were  duplicated  at  the  Holly  Springs  Branch  Station  in  1890. 


COTTON.  39 

The  soil  there  is  much  less  rich  in  lime  than  at  the  home  station,  is 
more  sandy,  and  is  usually  deficient  in. humus.  This  work  was  in 
charge  of  the  Hon.  G.  J.  Finlay,  and  results  were  as  follows:  Plot  7, 
which  received  200  pounds  of  kainit,  gave  much  the  largest,  as  well  as 
the  most  profitable  yield  of  any  plot  fertilized  with  a  single  ingredient, 
and  a  larger  yield  than  did  Plot  9,  where  an  equal  amount  of  acid 
phosphate  was  substituted  for  one-half  the  kainit  used  on  Plot  7.  - 

"Field  No.  2  was  thin  clay  upland,  which  had  been  in  cultivation 
for  many  years.  ...  A  mixture  of  meal  and  kainit  produced  the 
heaviest  crop,  increasing  the  yield  to  840  lbs.,  while  the  yield  of  the 
unfertilized  check  plots  was  only  331  lbs.  of  seed  cotton  per  acre. 

"Field  No.  3  was  on  low  land,  the  soil  being  very  light,  colored 
and  quite  sandy.  It  had  been  in  cullivation  fifty  years,  and  was 
planted  with  'Peterkin*  seed  on  May  14.  Meal  alone  failed  to  increase 
the  crop  sufficiently  to  pay  the  expense  of  application  and  kainit  gave 
the  best  results  of  any  of  the  single  fertilizers." 

Fertilizers  for  Cotton.     Experiment  by  W.  L.  Hutchinson  and 
L.  G.  Patterson.     Bulletin  No.  24.     Soil — Yellow  loam  lands. 

'*The  results  obtained  from  the  experiments  which  have  been 
made  indicate  that  potash  is  more  needed  for  cotton  than  any  other 
one  ingredient,  though  a  fertilizer  which  contains  a  small  amount  of 
nitrogen  and  water-soluble  phosphoric  acid  and  a  high  percentage  of 
potash  seems  to  more  adequately  meet  the  demands  of  these  lands." 

NORTH    CAROLINA,    1881. 
By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.     Third  Annual  Report. 

''Kainit  has  become  very  popular  with  cotton  planters.  It  acts 
probably  directly  and  indirectly.  The  sulphate  of  potash  it  contains 
is  quite  a  stimulating  food  to  the  cotton  plant,  and  it  distinctly 
promotes  a  regular  and  early  ripening  of  the  cotton,  while  it  appears  to 
be  almost  a  specific  against  rust.  Kainit  maybe  used  with  advantage, 
therefore,  both  on  the  moist  lowlands  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  State, 
and  upon  hillsides  of  the  west,  where  cotton  is  out  of  its  kingdom  and 
has  to  be  hastened  to  its  maturity." 

1888. 

By  H.  B.  Battle,  Director.     Annual  Report. 

"Kainit  might,  with  propriety,  be  used  for  specific  purposes  where 
land  is  in  great  need  of  potash,  or  as  a  rust  preventive  (and  un- 
doubtedly it  was  beneficial  for  this  purpose)." 


40  COTTON. 


1893. 


By  O.  W.  Sutton,  Mt.  Olive,  Duplin  Co.  Bulletin  No.  89,  page  36. 
Soil — Sandy;  clay  subsoil.  Best  financial  result  came  from  a  mix- 
ture of  cotton-seed  meal  with  kainit,  amounting  to  $7.51  per  acre 
from  1039  lbs.  of  seed  cotton  against  649  lbs.  from  unmanured  plots. 
Stable  manure  produced  a  financial  loss  of  $21.84. 

"Conclusions:     All  the  fertilizers  paid  well  except  phosphoric  acid 

alone.     Nitrogen  and  potash  were  the  dominant  elements." 

SOUTH    CAROLINA,    1886. 

Report  of  Experiment  Farm.     By  R.  H.  Loughridge. 

"The  presence  of  potash  appears  to  have  had  more  eflfeci  on  the 
yield  than  the  ammonia." 

Yields:  "The  acid  phosphate  alone  has  yielded  1926  lbs,  of  seed 
cotton  per  acre,  while  with  the  addition  of  kainit  its  yield  is  increased 
302  lbs." 

Profit  or  Loss:  "The  mixture  acid  phosphate  and  kainit  gave  a 
profit  of  $6.21." 

1888. 

By  J.  M.  McBryde,  Director.     First  Annual  Report. 

"It  is  very  clear  from  these  averages  that  the  potash  was  equally 
effective  at  all  three  farms,  showing  an  increase  of  from  100  lbs.  to  140 
lbs.  of  lint  per  acre;  hence  the  question  of  relative  cost  of  the  potassic 
fertilizer  becomes  an  important  one. 

"The  muriate  of  potash  would  be  preferred  as  being  the  cheapest 

of  the  three." 

1889. 

By  J.  M.  McBryde.  Bulletin  No.  2.  This  bulletin  is  devoted  to  a 
discussion  of  the  results  with  fertilizers  upon  cotton  obtained  in 
three  years,  1888-90,  upon  the  farms  at  Spartanburg  and  Darlington. 
The  soil  at  Spartanburg  is  clay  loam,  and  at  Darlington  sandy  loam. 
The  results  obtained  upon  the  two  farms  are  much  alike,  and  justify 
the  consideration  of  both  together.  They  convey  a  clear  idea  about 
manurial  needs  of  cotton  upon  a  certain  class  of  the  worn-out  soils 
of  the  South. 

"The  combination  of  potash,  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen  gave 
an  average  increase,  as  compared  with  unfertilized  average,  of  300  per 
cent,  at  Spartanburg  and  250  per  cent,  at  Darlington,  and  averaged 
100  lbs.  per  acre  more  lint  than  any  combination  of  any  two  of  them. 


FODDER    CORN.  41 

The  figures  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  importance  of  potash,  phosphoric 
acid  and  nitrogen  to  cotton." 

Potash:  "The  importance  of  potash  in  combination  with  the  other 
two  constituents  is  unmistakably  established.  It  increased  the  yield 
of  lint  by  95  lbs.  at  Spartanburg  and  108  lbs.  at  Darlington;  the 
average  increase  for  the  two  farms  is  102  lbs. 

"Dealing  with  the  combined  averages  of  the  two  farms  for  the 
three  years,  and  taking  the  average  of  the  unfertilized  plots  as  one,  it 
appears  that  potash  with  the  other  constituents  nearly  quadrupled  it. 

"The  enrichment  of  the  impoverished  soils  is  the  work,  not  of 
months,  but  years,  and  can  only  be  economically  accomplished  in  our 
climate  by  turning  under  green  crops  and  other  forms  of  vegetable 
matter  in  connection  with  applications  of  fertilizers." 

FODDER     CORN. 

MASSACHUSETTS    State    Station).    1886. 
By  C.  a.  Goessmann,  Director.    Fourth  Annual  Report.    Phosphoric 
acid  or  nitrogen  had  little  or  no  effect  upon  the  yield,  while  potash. 
, produced  an  increase  of  300  per  cent,  and  more. 

(Concerning  trials  in  1885):  "It  was  noticed  that  the  applications 
of  potash  compounds  alone,  muriate  of  potash  leading,  had  exerted  h 
marked  effect  on  the  quantity  and  the  quality  of  the  corn  fodder 
raised,  increasing  the  previous  annual  yield  not  less  than  100  per  cent, 
above  that  of  the  preceding  year. 

"In  sight  of  these  facts,  it  seems  but  justifiable  to  conclude,  that  a. 
deficiency  of  the  soil  in  available  potash  had  controlled  in  our  case, 
more  than  that  of  any  other  essential  a-rticle  of  plant-food — the  final 
yield  of  the  crop. 

"As  the  cultivation  of  grasses  and  fodder  corn  affects  the  manurial 

resources  of  the  soil  in  a  similar  direction ,  by  abstracting  approximately 

one  part  of  phosphoric  acid  to  four  parts  of  potash,  it  is  but  a  natural 

result  that  a  soil  which   originally  did  not  contain  more  of  available 

potash  than  of  available  phosphoric  acid,  must  become  unproductive 

before  the  latter  is  exhausted.      In  case  circumstances  necessitate  a 

direct  succession  of  these  crops,  it  is  well  to  remember  the  fact,  and  to 

provide  against  a  failure  by  applying  to  the  soil  liberally,  in  particular, 

potash  compounds  in  some  form  or  other.    Muriate  of  potash  deserves 

recommendation." 

1886. 

"Th*e  good  service  of  potash  compounds  is  still  remarkable." 


43  GRAPES. 

1887. 
By  C.  a.  Goessmann,  Director.     Fifth  Annual  Report. 

"The  growth  upon  the  plots  which  had  either  received  no  fer- 
tilizer, or  one  which  did  not  contain  potash,  turned  yellowish,  ceased 
to  grow,  and  produced  a  few  imperfect  ears,  while  upon  the  plots 
which  had  been  fertilized  with  a  manure  containing  potash,  it  retained 
its  healthy  appearance,  reached  its  normal  height,  and  produced  a 
liberal  number  of  perfect  ears." 

Conclusions  from  three  years'  experiments:  "The  beneficial  in- 
fluence of  a  p  jtash  supply  on  the  yield  of  fodder  upon  our  experimental 
plots  is  in  every  instance  unmistakable;  while  the  application  of  a  lib- 
eral supply  of  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen,  either  separately  or  com- 
bined, on  the  whole,  does  not  materially  effect  the  annual  yield,  when 
compared  with  the  unfertilized  plots." 

1888. 
By  C.  a.  Goessmann,  Directc«.     Sixth  Annual  Report. 

"The  results  of  the  past  season  confirm  the  conclusion  presented 
in  our  previous  annual  report.  An  exceptional  deficiency  of  the  soil 
in  available  potash,  produced  by  continual  rotation  of  grasses  arid 
corn  fodder,  without  any  substantial  provision  for  an  exceptionally 
large  consumption  of  potash,  proves  still  the  first  cause  to  a  reduced 
annual  yield  of  corn  fodder." 

GRAPES. 

NEW    YORK    (Cornell    Station),    1894. 
By  E.  G.  Lodeman.     Bulletin  No.  76. 

Speaking  of  the  "shelling"  of  grapes,  it  is  stated:  "Probably 
more  vineyardists  agree  upon  attributing  the  shelling  of  grapes  to  a 
want  of  potash  than  they  do  upon  any  other  cause  advanced.  There 
are  several  facts  which  favor  the  theory." 

"An  experiment  was  made  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Howard,  of  Fredonia,  NY., 
who  applied  fertilizers  at  the  rate  of  200  lbs.  per  acre  as  follows: 

16  rows,  applied  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  Muriate  of  Potash 
and  Bone. 
6  rows  Muriate  of  Potash. 
6  rows  Bone. 

6  rows  Tankage. 

64  rows  equal  parts  Tankage,  Bone  and  Potash. 

7  rows  Potash  and  Bone. 

4  rows,  nothing.  • 


44  GRAPES. 

"These  applications  were  made  in  the  spring  of  1894,  upon  land 
that  had  shelled  in  previous  years.  The  results  were  so  plainly  marked 
that  there  was  no  room  left  for  doubt  as  to  the  requirements  of  the  land 
in  this  vineyard.  The  first  plot  of  sixteen  rows  shelled,  but  not  seri- 
ously. The  next  six  rows,  to  which  muriate  of  potash  had  been  ap- 
plied, scarcely  lost  a  berry,  nor  were  leaves  'blighted'  to  any  greater 
extent  than  might  be  expected  so  late  in  the  season.  In  passing  to  the 
next  plot,  the  one  to  which  the  bone  was  applied,  it  was  unnecessary 
to  ask  where  the  dividing  line  between  the  two  plots  was  situated. 
The  difference  could  be  seen  to  the  row.  Where  the  bone  had  been 
applied  the  berries  shelled  to  such  an  extent  that  the  ground  was  fairly 
blue  in  some  places.  It  seemed  as  if  fully  one-third  of  the  crop  had 
fallen.  The  remainder  of  the  plots  showed  improvements  directly  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  potash  used,  the  other  materials  applied 
being  apparently  without  effect." 

The  following  opinions  are  quoted  by  prominent  growers: 

"Ralph  Hall,  Brocton.  Soil,  strong  shale  and  loam;  fertilizer 
applied,  400  lbs.  low  grade  potash  to  a  vineyard  that  shelled  in  past 
years;  shelling,  none  in  1894." 

"Jonas  Martin,  Brocton.  Soil,  strong  gravel  loam;  fertilizers, 
experience  has  proved  that' shelling  is  not  so  serious  when  potash  fer- 
tilizers are  used." 

**Geo.  W.  Marsh,  Portland.  Soil,  heavy  gravel  loam,  inclined  to 
be  wet  in  a  low  place;  fertilizers,  used  kainit  i  lb.  per  plant;  shelling 
practically  stopped  where  it  was  formerly  serious,  and  no  blight  on 
the  leaves. 

"A.  H.  Harris,  Westfield.  Soil,  rich,  dry  gravel;  fertilizers,  i 
lb.  sylvinite  to  the  vine;  shelling,  none  where  potash  was  used,  some 
where  it  was  not  used." 

"G,  Schoenfeld,  Westfield  (formerly  had  charge  of  a  vineyard). 
Soil,  gravelly  loam;  fertilizers,  i  to  ij  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash 
applied  in  the  spring  to  the  vines  which  shelled  the  fall  before, 
stopped  the  trouble." 

**Many  vineyards  have  apparently  stopped  the  shelling  by  applica- 
tions of  potash.** 

"Potash  seems  to  be  the  food  required  by  the  plant  in  the  majority 
of  the  cases  in  which  the  vines  shell,  and  it  may  be  wanted  in  all  cases." 


GRASS    AND    CLOVER.  45 

GRASS    AND    CLOVER. 

MASSACHUSETTS,    1895. 

By  William  P.  Brooks,  Agriculturist.  Thirty-third  Annual  Re- 
port. 

"The  potash  greatly  increases  the  proportion  of  clover,  and  thus 
considerably  benefits  the  first  cut  of  hay,  the  average  increase  this 
year  amounting  to  569  lbs.  of  hay  for  an  application  of  160  lbs.  of 
muriate  of  potash  per  acre. 

"The  effect  of  the  potash  application  is  most  striking  upon  th« 
rowan  crop.  This,  where  timothy,  red-top  and  clover  are  sown,  is 
always  chiefly  clover.  This  year  there  was  not  rowan  enough  to  weigh 
except  where  barn-yard  manure  or  potash  had  been  applied. 

"Muriate  of  potash  applied  to  land  which  is  to  be  seeded  to  mixed 
grasses  and  clovers  may  be  depended  upon  to  increase  the  proportion 
of  clover  in  the  produce,  and  consequently  to  make  the  hay  more 
highly  nitrogenous,  and  particularly  to  increase  the  yield  of  rowan. 
The  amount  needed  is  about  175  to  200  lbs.  per  acre. 

"Fertilizers  for  top-dressing  grass  lands  in  spring  should  contain 
-nitrate  of  soda  and  muriate  or  sulphate  of  potash." 

NEW    JERSEY,    1886. 

By  S.  p.  Ridgeway,  Hurfvillk,  Gloucester  Co.  Seventh  Annual 
Report.     Potash  alone  and  in  combination  produced  a  profit. 

"It  is  evident  that  this  result  was  largely  due  to  the  favorable 
effect  produced  by  the  muriate  of  potash  in  securing  a  stand,  since, 
with  the  exception  of  plot  11,  the  crop  was  very  light  where  no 
muriate  of  potash  was  used." 

HEMP. 

KENTUCKY,    1888. 

Experiment  by  M.  A.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  18. 

Soil — Blue  grass  land,  well  worn.  The  experiment  shows  plainly 
that  quantity  as  well  as  quality  was  improved  by  applications  con- 
taining potash.  The  quality  of  the  potash  plots  was  prorounced  to 
be  fair  or  good,  while  trashy  on  all  other  plots. 

"It  follows  that  potash  was  an  essential  ingredient  of  the  fertilizer 

which  produced  the  marked  increased  growth  of  hemp." 


4:0  HEMP OATS ORANGES. 

1889. 
By  M.  a.   Scovell,  Director.      Bulletin  No.  27.      Soil — Very  much 
worn,  and  would  be  considered  by  most  farmers  unfit  for  hemp. 
From  the  year's  experience,  our  conclusions  are: 
*'i.     That  hemp   can  be  raised  successfully  on  our  worn  blue- 
grass  soils  with  the  aid  of  commercial  fertilizers. 

**2.  That  a  commercial  fertilizer  containing  about  6  per  cent, 
available  phosphoric  acid,  12  per  cent,  of  actual  potash,  and  4  per 
cent,  of  nitrogen  (mostly  in  the  form  of  nitrate  of  soda  or  sulphate  of 
ammonia)  would  be  a  good  fertilizer  for  trials." 

1895. 
By  M.  a.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  55,  page  54. 

"The  only  conclusion  drawn  is,  the  results  strongly  indicate  that 
nitrogen  and  potash  were  needed  on  the  plots  for  hemp." 

OATS. 

TENNESSEE,    1889. 

Experiment  by  C.  S.  Plumb.  Bulletin  No.  2.  Soil — Light  loam  of 
clayey  character.  The  highest  yield,  amounting  to  51  bushels,  was 
produced  by  the  simple  application  of  muriate  of  potash. 

Conclusions:  "That  the  two  plots  fertilized  with  potash  gave  the 
highest  yields." 

ORANGES. 

FLORIDA,    1892. 

By  J.  M.  Pickel  and  J.  J.  Earle.     Bulletin  No.  17. 

"The  orange  draws  potash  from  the  soil  in  far  larger  quantity 
than  any  other  constituent.  That  is,  however,  precisely  that  constitu- 
ent which  is  relatively  deficient  in  popular  orange  fertilizers  now  on 
sale  in  Florida.  These  fertilizers  contain  from  i  to  2.5  times  as  much 
phosphoric  acid  as  potash  and  2  to  5  times  as  much  phosphoric  acid 
as  nitrogen.  Whereas,  according  to  our  analyses,  the  orange  takes 
from  the  soil  6  times  as  much  potash  and  1.6  as  much  nitrogen  as 
phosphoric  acid  (in  the  case  of  the  California  orange,  4  times  as  much 
potash  and  3  times  as  much  nitrogen).  That  one  of  these  three  most- 
important  constituents,  of  which  the  orange  removes  the  least,  the  one, 
moreover,  which  is  most  likely  to  be  present,  and  often  actually  is 
present  in  Florida  soil  in  excessive  abundance,  namely,  phosphate,  is 
the  one  which  thes©  fertilizers  supply  in  excess.      A  fertilizer  which 


ORANGES PEACH  TREES.  47 

would  return  to  the  soil  the  constituents  extracted  by  the  orange,  should 
contain  about  2.7  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid,  4  per  cent,  nitrogen,  and 
16  per  cent,  of  potash.  These  remarks  have  reference  to  old  bearing 
trees."  .  .  .  "The  fertilization  of  fruit  trees  is  a  subject  about  which, 
there  is  little  accurate  knowledge,  and  greatly  needs  to  be  studied. 
The  formulas  for  orange  fertilizers  undoubtedly  need  to  be  revised ;^ 
the  quantity  of  potash  relatively  to  the  other  constituents  needs  to  be 
increased.  A  fertilizer  containing  something  like  2.7  per  cent,  phos- 
phoric acid,  4  per  cent,  nitrogen  and  16  per  cent,  potash  would  restore 
these  elements  to  the  soil  in  something  like  the  relative  proportions 
in  which  the  orange  takes  them.  About  12.5  lbs.  of  this  fertilizer 
would  be  enough  for  the  production  of  1,000  oranges." 

PEACH     TREES. 

NEW    JERSEY,    1883. 

By  G.  H.  Cook,  Director.     Fourth  Annual  Report. 

"We  recommended  the  use  of  muriate  of  potash  to  several  growers, 
of  peach  trees  in  the  spring  of  1883,  and  have  much  satisfaction  in 
learning  just  now  from  two  of  them  that  their  trials  with  it  proved 
entirely  successful  as  far  as  one  year's  experience  will  go.." 

1886. 
By  G.  H.  Cook,  Director.     Seventh  Annual  Report. 

"The  experiments  to  show  the  effects  of  fertilizers  upon  the  growth 
and  productiveness  of  peach  trees  are  successful,  and  giving  great  en- 
couragement to  the  cultivators,  as  well  as  the  consumers,  of  this  lus- 
cious fruit,  by  the  use  of  chemical  fertilizers,  especially  of  muriate  of 
potash.  The  trees  are  now  kept  in  healthy  growth  and  bearing  con- 
diiion  for  many  years,  in  the  very  fields  where  formerly,  without  the 
use  of  fertilizers,  the  lives  of  the  trees  were  limited  to  six  or  seven 
years.  On  unmanured  soils  the  foliage  of  the  trees  turned  yellow^ 
great  numbers  of  little  suckers  grew  out  of  the  branches,  and  the  trees 
were  said  to  have  the  'yellows,'  and  soon  died.  The  effect  of  fertilizers 
upon  the  failing  trees  is  so  marked  that  many  cultivators  of  peach 
trees  believe  there  is  no  such  disease  as  the  'yellows,'  and  that  their 
early  failure  was  simply  due  to  the  lack  of  proper  plant-food." 
Special  Report  by  J.  M.  White. 

"Dr.  Henry  Race,  of  Pittstown,  Hunterdon  County,  who  has  used 
potash  salts  and  bone  for  the  past  six  years,  writes:  'In  my  experience 
of  trees  bearing  an  excessively  large  crop,  they  are  liable  to  have  an 


<^8  PEACH    TREES. 

unhealthy  appearance;  the  leaves  turn  yellow,  small  reddish  shoots 
start  up  from  the  large  branches  near  the  trunk,  and  the  wood  soon 
becomes  a  dark  brownish  color.  Whether  these  symptoms  represent 
the  specific  disease  called  the  'yellows'  or  not,  muriate  of  potash  and 
super-phosphate  of  lime  applied  as  soon  as  the  crop  is  gathered  in  the 
quantity  of  400  or  500  lbs.  to  the  acre,  with  good  cultivation  and 
pruning,  will  prevent  this  premature  decay,  or  arrest  it  if  just  com- 
menced. If  the  fertilizer  is  withheld  till  the  wood  becomes  a  dark 
brown,  its  application  may  improve  the  appearance  of  the  tree,  but 
it  will  never  become  healthy  and  vigorous  again." 

1889. 
By   S.   C.   Dayton,   Basking   Ridge,    Somerset   Co.     Tenth    Annual 
Report. 

**The  best  yields  secured  in  1889  were  from  those  plots  upon 
which  potash  had  been  applied.  The  highest  yield  of  166.7  baskets 
was  on  plot  7  from  muriate  of  potash  and  nitrate  of  soda." 

Considering  results  for  three  years:  "It  will  be  noticed  that  per- 
centage of  increase  due  to  super-phosphate  has  gradually  decreased, 
while  the  favorable  effect  of  muriate  of  potash  has  gradually  increased 

since  1887." 

1891. 
By*  S.  C.  Dayton.     Twelfth  Annual  Report,  page  133.     The  follow- 
ing are  the  results  from  experiments  carried  on  since  1884. 

"Super-phosphate  and  muriate  of  potash  have  been  effective, 
though  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  potash. 

"The  best  yield  from  chemical  manures  is  from  the  complete 
fertilizer. 

"As  in  the  study  of  yields,  muriate  of  potash  was  the  most  valu- 
able of  the  single  fertilizing  elements,  having  produced  peaches  at  a 
less  cost  per  basket  than  either  of  the  combinations,  or  of  all  three  in 
the  form  of  a  complete  fertilizer. 

"The   best   return   for  the    money  expended  was  secured   from 

muriate  of  potash." 

1892. 
By  S.  C.  Dayton,  Basking  Ridge,  Somerset  Co.     Thirteenth  Annual 
Report,  page  122. 

"The  experiments  which  were  begun  1884  were  made  upon  12 
experimental  plots,  to  which  various  fertilizer  combinations  and  also 
barn-yard  manure  was  applied.  The  results  of  several  years'  experi- 
menting show,  that  commercial  fertilizers  pay  better  than  stable  ma- 


PEAS.  49 

nure,  and  that  complete  fertilizers  produce  the  best  results,  while  an 

actual  gain  has  been  produced  by  nearly  every  application. 

"Potash  has  proved  the  most  valuable  of  the  single  elements. 

The  average  net  gain  from  the  use  of  complete  chemical  manures  for  the 

six  crop  years  is  $60.51,  and  only  $36.14  from  the  use  of  barn-yard 

manure,  a  difference  of  $24.37  in  favor  of  the  fertilizer,  or  more 'than 

enough  to  fertilize  two  acres  at  the  rate  at  which  it  was  applied   on 

plot  9." 

1893. 

By  S.  C.  Dayton,  Basking  Ridge,  Somerset  Co.  Sixth  Annual  Re- 
port, page  138.  Potash  seems  to  be  the  predominant  element  for 
peaches.  The  net  gain  for  five  years  from  the  use  of  complete 
fertilizer  was  $508.40. 

"Potash  seems  to  be  the  ruling  fertilizing  element  for  peaches,  pro- 
ducing more  fruit  and  of  better  quality  than  any  of  the  others.  Lime 
seems  good  for  grass,  but  very  poor  for  peaches."  .  .  .  "Of  the 
single  fertilizing  ingredients,  potash  still  exerts  the  most  favorable 
influence." 

^  "Of  the  single  elements,  nitrate  of  soda  has  not  increased  the 
yield;  super-phosphate  and  potash,  on  plots  3  and  4,  have  both  been 
effective,  though  still  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  potash,  the  net  increase 
in  yield  on  plot  4  being  276  baskets,  or  62  8  per  cent. 

"Of  the  single  elements,  potash  has  proved  the  most  valuable." 
NEW    YORK   (Cornell    Station),    1894. 
By  L.  H.  Bailey.     Bulletin  No.  74. 

"I  believe  that  the  key-note  to  the  proper  fertilization  of  peach 

orchards  is  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  and  not  nitrogen 

Tillage,  with  green  manure  crops  at  the  end  of  the  season,  can  be 
relied  upon  to  furnish  the  nitrogen  in  some  instances." 

PEAS. 

GEORGIA.    1892. 

Bulletin  No.  17,  March,  1892.     Soil — Red  clay  and  clay  subsoil. 

Conclusions:  "That  mixed  minerals  (phosphates  and  potash) 
gave  the  most  economical  results." 

MAINE,    1891. 
By  W.  Balentine.     Annual  Report,  1891,  page  131. 

Summary — The  experiment  brings  out  strongly  the  facts:  "2.  That 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash  are  the  most  important  fertilizings  elements 
for  peas." 


50 


PEAS — POTATOES. 


'. 

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g, , . , 

^^^;:   V-  --^^ 

^if^-'^'^P?:- '  ■  ■    -■   ^  ^ 

iJI      X 

i     ■■•«9 

SHOWING   THE   EFFECT   OF   POTASH-PHOSPHATE   FERTILIZATION   ON   COW   PEAS, 
EXPERIMENT   FARM,    SOUTHERN    PINES,    NORTH   CAROLINA. 

NORTH    CAROLINA,    1882. 

By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.     Fifth  Annual  Report. 

"Kainit  and  peas  together  are  undoubtedly  the  most  promising 
agents  we  know  of  for  improving  our  Southern  soils.  They  seem  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  these  soils  and  go  together.  .  .  .  Mr.  A.  T. 
McCallum,  Robeson  County,  compared  the  effects  of  ammoniated  super- 
phosphate and  kainit.  He  does  not  give  us  the  figures,  but  says: 
*The  plot  on  which  I  used  kainit  made  twice  as  many  peas  as  any  one 
of  the  others.  You  could  tell  very  plainly  to  the  very  row  where  the 
kainit  commenced  by  the  peas.  Kainit  is  certainly  a  god-send  to  the 
cotton  farmer." 

POTATOES. 

CONNECTICUT   (Storrs'    Station),    1891. 

Experiment  by  the  Station.     Fourth  Annual  Report. 

"In  the  experiment  of  1891,  the  potatoes  responded  decidedly  to 
potash.  On  all  the  plots  where  this  ingredient  was  used,  the  vines  were 
heavier  throughout  the  season,  remained  greener  longer,  and  gave 
much  larger  yields  than  plots  which  received  no  potash.     Phosphoric 


POTATOES.  W 

acid,  when  used  alone,  or  in  combination  with  nitrogen,  brought  but 

little  over  nothing;  but  when  used  with  potash,  its  beneficial  effects 

were  quite  marked. 

"The  vines  upon  all  the  plots  receiving  dissolved  bone  black,  but 

without  potash,  were  more  seriously  affected  with  blight  than  those 

receiving  potash." 

KENTUCKY,    1888. 

By  M.  a.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  i6. 

The  results  show:  ''That  the  yield  of  merchantable  potatoes,  and 
also  the  total  yield,  was  largely  increased  on  those  plots  containing 
potash.  • 

"That  200  lbs.  of  sulphate  of  potash  produced  an  increased  yield 
slightly  exceeding  that  produced  by  the  application  of  80  loads  of 
stable  manure. 

•'That  the  results  were  the  same  as  to  th«  yields,  whether  muriate 
or  sulphate  was  used." 

Summary:  "Potash  is  what  is  needed  on  our  soil  for  the  potato 
crop. 

"The  effect  of  potash  was  shown  upon  the  growth  of  the  potatoes, 
as  well  as  the  yield.  The  vines  were  much  more  thrifty  and  stood  the 
drought  better.  The  potatoes  on  plots  containing  potash  were  larger 
and  more  even  in  size  than  those  on  other  plots." 

Financial  results:  A  profit  of  $21.43  was  obtained  from  sulphate 
of  potash  alone. 

"The  results  show  decidedly  that  there  was  a  profit  in  the  use  of 
potash  compounds,  and  that  the  money  expended  in  ammonia  sulphate 
and  super-phosphates  was  entirely  lost.  Plot  No.  11,  which  received 
80  loads  of  barn-yard  manure,  probably  did  not  produce  an  increase 
enough  to  pay  for  the  expense  of  hauling  out  the  manure. 

"Thus  we  find  by  these  experiments,  that  it  is  potash  compounds 
that  are  needed  to  enrich  the  soil  of  the  Experiment  Station  Farm  for 
the  production  of  potatoes.  They  indicate,  also,  that  impoverished 
soils  of  the  above  class,  in  the  blue-grass  region,  would  be  improved 
^^y  the  application  of  potash  compounds." 
^  1889. 

By  M.  a.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  22. 
^b      The  results  show:    "i.     That  the  yields  of  potatoes  were  largely 
^Increased  by  the  use  of  sulphate  of  potash,  either  when  used  alone  or  in 
combination  with  nitrate  of  soda,  or  with  acid  phosphate,  or  with  both. 


!?- 


RESULTS  ON  POTAtOES  OBTAINED  IN  1896. 


^i^  FERTILIZER 


POTASH 


mTROG£N 


PHOSPHORIC  ACID 


PHOSPHORIC  ACID 
POTASH  • 


NITROGEN 
PHOSPHORIC  ACIO 


NITROGEN 
PHOSPHORIC  ACID 
POTASH  .w#v' 


KHNIUC  KY    EXPERIMENT    STATION, 


**2.  It  appears  that  neither  acid  phosphate  nor  nitrate  of  soda, 
when  used  separately  or  in  combination  with  each  other,  were  of  much 
or  no  benefit,  but  that  when  either  was  used 'with  Sulphite  of  potasli 
the  results  were  beneficial  as  to  yield;  the  greatest  yield  being  pro- 
duced when  both  were  applied  together  with  sulphate  of  potaSh.*" 

The  effect  of  fertilizers  on  the  quality:  "It  appears  from  the  re- 
sults that  the  potatoes  from  the  plots  fertilized  with  potash  sulphate 
alone  contained  the  largest  amount  of  dry  matter,  and  were,  therefore, 
considered  the  best  in  quality." 

1891.  ,,,)  .^.  : 

Bulletin  No.  37,  December  1891,  page  13.      Thehighest  profit  of  $23.40 
resulted  from  muriate  of  potash.  -      .,   ,. 

"By  referring  to  the  table  it  would  seem  that  potash  greatly  in- 
creased the  yield,  while  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen  gave  some 
beneficial  effects." 

1895.  ;  i 

By  M.  A.  ScovELL,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  61. 

"The  season  was  very  unfavorable  for  j6btatoes,  yet  t!h6  effect  of 
potash  was  proportionately  as  great  as  in  previous  expefirrlfents.  The 
average  yield  from  the  unmantired  plots  wak  43  bushfels  of  potatoes 
per  acre,  while  muriate  of  potash  aldne  hiore  than  doubled  the  crop, 
and  the  complete  mixture  containing  160  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash 
produced  126.8  bushels  of  potatoes." 

LOUISIANA,    1889. 
By  W.  C.  Stubbs,  Director,  Baton  Rouge.     Bulletin  No.  26. 

"In  five  cases  the  meal  and  kainit  gave  a  larger  yield  than  meal 
and  acid  phosphate,  despite  the  fact  that, the  stand  of  the  former  was 
inferior.     This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  potash  is  of  some  benefit." 

MAINE,    1890. 
Farmers'    Experiments,   by  O.   B.   Keene,   Easton,   Aroostook  Co. 
Annual  Report,  Part  III.     Potash  and  ammonia  produced  a  large 
increase  of  potatoes  in  the  experiment. 

"This  experiment  is  interesting  in  showing  the  remarkable  effect 
of  commercial  fertilizers  on  some  soils.  Tile  aver'a'ge  bf  the  'plots 
receiving  no  fertilizers  was  132  bushels  per  acre.  Thie  average  of  the 
plots  receiving  nitrate  of  soda  and  muriate  df  potash  was  262  bushels 
per  acre.  Here  the  crop  was  doubled *by  adding  150  lbs.  of  hitrat6  bi 
soda  and  100  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash.  The  cbst  of  the  cheriiib^ls  in 
this  case  was  about  4.2  cents  per  bushel." 


6i  ^  POTATOES. 

1891. 
i^Y  H.  C.  TowNSEND,  Fort  Fairfield.     Annual  Repoff. 

"In  this  experiment  all  the  fertilizers  caused  an  increase  in  the 
crop,  but  the  combination  of  dissolved  bone-black  ana  muriate  of 
potash  produced  the  increase  at  least  cost  per  bushel." 

MASSACHUSETTS    (State    Station),    1886. 

By  C.  a.  Goessmann,  Director.     Annual  Report.     The  experiments 
of  three  years,  from   1884  to   1886,  are  considered  together.      The 
yield  was  largely  increased  by  the  fertilizers  containing  potash.     In 
1884  the  plot  that  received  muriate  of  potash  was  free  from  scab. 
"The  latter  (manured  with  muriate),  on  the  other  hand,  had  the 
smoothest  skins  and  were  almost  entirely  free  from  scab,  which  seri- 
ously disfigured  those  from  plots  2  and  3.** 

1893. 

Eleventh  Annual  Report.  The  experiment  was  made  to  compare  the 
effects  of  muriate  of  potash  and  sulphate  of  potash  upon  potatoes. 
The  results  are  as  follows: 

"The  yield  of  potatoes  is  in  every  instance  larger  in  case  sulphate 

of  potash  has  furnished  the  potash  of  the  fertilizer  used,  than  where 

muriate  of  potash  has  served  for  that  purpose." 

MASSACHUSETTS    (Hatch    Station),    1890. 

By  H.  H.  Goodell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  14. 

"Potash  for  this  crop,  as  for  corn,  seemed  to  be  most  deficient  in 
this  soil.  This  is  thus  far  the  only  experiment  tried  under  my  direction 
on  potatoes,  and  I  am  not  justified  in  forming  any  sweeping  conclusions. 
It,  however,  appears  to  me  likely  that  the  'special  potato  fertilizers' 
in  the  market  furnish  too  small  a  proportion  of  potash.  It  will  pay,  I 
believe,  to  use  them  in  moderate  quantities,  if  at  all,  in  connection 
with  sulphate  of  potash  for  the  heavier  and  muriate  of  potash  for  the 
lighter  soils." 

1892. 
By  W.   L.   Phillips,   Marblehead.      Bulletin   No.    18,   April,    1892. 
Soil — Gravelly  loam. 

"These  comparisons  make  it  evident  that  potash  was  more  bene- 
ficial than  either  phosphoric  acid  or  nitrogen.  Alone,  and  in  every 
combination,  it  much  more  than  pays  for  itself;  but  it  is  far  more 
effective  when  phosphoric  acid  is  present  than  when  used  alone,  and 


POTATOES.  55 

produces  a  yet  larger  increase  when  used  in  conjunction  with  both 
phosphoric  acid  and  nitrate  of  soda. 

**A  potato  fertilizer  for  such  a  soil  as  this  should  contain  nitrogen, 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  and  I  should  judge  that  materials  fur- 
nishing per  acre,  nitrogen,  30  lbs.;  phosphoric  acid,  60  lbs.;  and  potash, 
100  lbs.;  might  give  a  profitable  crop." 
By  Frank  Wheeler,  Concord.     Soil — Sandy  loam. 

"Potash  appears  to  have  been  the  element  *in  minimo.'  Even 
when  used  alone  it  produced  a  profitable  increase.  But  its  beneficial 
effects  are  greater  with  either  of  the  other  elements  than  alone,  and 
greatest  with  both  the  others." 

By  L.  W.  West,  Hadley.  Soil — Moderately  heavy  loam.  Nitrogen 
produced  a  gain  of  $5  35,  phosphoric  acid  a  loss  of  $3.39,  and  potash 
a  gain  $38,83. 

"The  superiority  of  the  plots  which  received  potash  was  eviJent 
from  an  early  stage  in  the  growth  of  the  crop. 

"This  soil  stands  in  greater  need  of  potash  for  potatoes  than  of 
either  of  the  other  ingredients  of  the  fertilizer  used.  It  is  significant 
that  all  the  requirements  of  corn  on  similar  soil,  as  shown  by  the  experi- 
ments of  1889  and  1890,  were  the  same.  In  view  of  the  confirmatory 
results  of  the  experiments  of  three  successive  years  upon  it,  a  very 
marked  deficiency  of  potash  in  this  soil  can  not  be  reasonably  doubted." 

1892. 
General  Summary.     The  average  from  all  the  preceding  experiments 
shows  that  nitrogen  produced  10.74  bushels  increase,  phosphoric 
acid  10. 1 1  bushels,  and  potash  41.55  bushels  increase. 

"It  will  be  observed  that  the  potash  of  the  fertilizers  of  every 
experiment  save  one  (Shelburne),  proved  much  more  beneficial  in  its 
average  effect  upon  the  crop  than  either  nitrogen  or  phosphoric  acid, 
and  the  indication  is,  therefore,  that  it  should  be  relatively  more  abun- 
dant in  fertilizers  especially  designed  for  this  crop  than  is  usually  the 
case." 

At  the  Station  Grounds,  at  Amherst,  North  Acre.  Bulletin 
No.  18,  1892,  Soil — Warm  medium  loam.  Nitrogen  and  phos- 
phoric acid  produced  a  loss;  potash  a  gain  of  $13.60. 

"These  comparisons  make  evident  the  fact  that  for  potatoes,  as 
for  corn  last  year,  potash  should  be  a  prominent  ingredient  of  the  fer- 
tilizer used.  Neither  nitrogen  nor  phosphoric  acid  gave  results  of  any 
great  importance,  while  potash  alone,  and  in  every  combination,  pro- 
duced a  profitable  increase." 


51  POTATOES. 

1895. 

By  William  P.  Brooks,  Agriculturist.  Thirty-third  Annual  Re- 
port. 

"i.  Eight  experiments,  comparing  the  sulphate  with  the  muriate 
of  potash,  have  given  an  average  22.1  bushels  of  merchantable 
tubers  per  acre  more  where  the  sulphate  was  the  source  of  potash. 

**2.  The  eating  quality  of  the  tubers  raised  when  the  sulphate  has 
been  the  source  of  potash  has  generally  been  better  than  when  the 
muriate  was  used. 

"3.  Analyses  have  generally  shown  that  the  tubers  raised  on  the 
sulphate  have  contained  less  water  and  more  starch  than  those  raised 
on  the  muriate." 

"i.  Both  being  used  in  connection  with  material  furnishing  equal 
amounts  of  ni;rogen  and  phosphates,  sulphate  of  potash  gives  larger 
yields  of  potatoes  than  muriate  of  potash. 

*  2.  Used  in  the  same  way,  sulphate  of  potash  produces  potatoes 
of  better  quality  than  muriate  of  potash. 

"3.  Potato  fertilizers  should  therefore  contain  potash  in  the 
form  of  sulphate  rather  than  muriate." 

MICHIGAN,    1892. 
By  L,  R.  Taft.     Bulletin  No.  85. 

''The  nitrogen  perhaps  had  the  least  efifect,  but  the  potash  and 
ground  bone,  whether  alone  or  together,  seemed  to  increase  the  yield." 
.  .  .  "Even  on  fairly  rich  soil  manure  for  fertilizers  for  potatoes 
can  be  used  with  profit." 

NEW    HAMPSHIRE,    1890. 

By  S.  E.  Whittemore,  Colebrook.  Bulletin  No.  12.  The  location  is 
in  the  heart  of  the  potato  region  of  New  Hampshire. 

"Every  test,  adds  to  the  probability  of  the  correctness  of  my 
position  relative  to  the  need  of  vastly  more  potash  than  our  fertilizer 
manufacturers  give  us.     .     .     . 

"The  conclusion  is  fully  warranted  that  more  potash  is  needed 
than  the  prepared  fertilizers  furnish." 

Conclusion:  "The  above  results  so  fully  confirm  previous  ob- 
servations that  I  shall  simply  reprint  the  conclusions  given  in  Bul- 
letin No.  10  of  this  station,  page  12. 

"i.  Chemicals  when  properly  mixed  can  fully  take  the  place  of 
farm-yard  manure  as  a  source  of  plant-food. 


POTATOES.  5t 

•*2.  Chemicals  whetT properly  mixed  can  and  do  give  greater  in- 
crease.of  crop  than  commercial  fertilizers. 

"3.  The  average  chemical  composition  of  fertilizers  for  New- 
Hampshire  should  be  phosphoric  acid,  9  to  11  per  cent.;  potash,  9  to 
i5^per  cent.;  nitrogen,  2  to  4  per  cent,  whereas  the  fertilizers  offered 
us  in  the  market  average,  phosphoric  acid,  11  pe|r  cent;  potiash,  2,5 
per  cent;  nitrogen,  2.5  per  cent.'*  ^  i,   , 

NEW   JERSEY,    1889.'^  r      , 

By  J.  M.  White,  New  Brunswick,  Middlesex  do.     Tenth  Annual' 

Report.     Soil — Light,  dry  sandy  gravel.  ^  g 

"Marked  effects  were  observed  from  the  use  of  both  jniiriate  arid 
kainit.  ...  At  these  prices  ^he  net  profit  per' acre  from  the  use  of 
muriate  of  potash  was  $13.20;  from  kainit,  $16.67."' 

Twfl|fth  Annual^ Report,  page  108.     Experiments  were  made  in  three 
different  localities  in  the  State,  and  on  different  soils. 

The  effect  of  different  forms  of  potash  salts:  "Averaging  the 
three  experiments,  the  yields  from  muriate  and  sulphate  are  practically 
identical,  ,  .         .  ,^j;, 

.  .  .  "In  the  use  of  muriate  or  sulphate  the  main  consideration  is 
the  cost,  the  cheaper  muriate  being  quite  as  effective  as  the  sulphate, 
and  the  direct  application  of  large  quantities  of  kainit  is  notadyi^fiblc^ 
tor  potatoes.'V  p,  -id""' 

The  potaj^oes  were  subjected  to  a  chemical  analysis,  the  result  qi 
which  demonstrate^  that  sulphate  of  potash  produced  the  best  p|>|fi- 
toes.     This  was  confirnied  by  testing  the  cooked  potatoes. 
!g     ^>\  NEW^  YORK   (Geneva   Station)rr,18Q9.  ^ 

By  P.^Collier,  Director.     Eighth  Annual  Report.     It  is  stated  tha| 
the  ash  of  potatoes  contains  59.8  per  cent,  of  potash,  and. one  of  the. 
main  objects  of  the  experiment  was  to  find  out  if  the  potatoes  are 
ll,rgely  in  need  of  potash,  as  indicated  by  their  compo^fflon.     Potash 
produced  a  large  increas^^.    The  average  yield  from  plfetseomtaining 
no  fiotash  is  85.5  bushels  per  acre;  that  from  potassiuirt  siil^hate  is 
•  112.5  bushels;  frotnf  potassium  chloride  I35  bushels.       '^^        ■^'■ 
By  p.  Collier,  Director.^      Special  Experiment  with  Pptash  and^ 
'"Nitrogen.     Ninth  Annual  Report.  '    "  --W^-     •       = 

These  results  indicate:    "i.    That  for  piotatoes,  potaslium  ch%*id«? 
is  a  good,  safe  fertilizer,  even  on  some  Clay  soil^,  where  potash  mky  b6 
K^said  to  be  present  in  considerable  quantity."  '  ?    :• 


M  POTATOES. 

NORTH    CAROLINA,   1888. 

By  T.  W.  Jones,  Columbia,  Tyrrel  Co.     Annual  Report. 

"Kainit  alone  yielded  a  profit  of  $9.30  from  an  investment  of  $2.80." 

OHIO,   1886. 
By  N.  S.  Townsend,  Director.     Fifth  Annual  Report. 

"Wherever  potash,  alone  or  in  combination,  was  used,  less  scabby 
potatoes  were  found  than  upon  any  other  plots.  It  may  not  be  safe, 
however,  to  infer  from  this  that  potash  prevents  scab,  but  it  seemed, 
in  this  case,  to  have  that  effect  to  some  extent." 

OREGON,   1893. 
By  H.  T.  French,  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  24.     Kainit  produced 
about  145  bushels  per  acre  against  81  bushels  per  acre  unmanured. 
Unleached  ashes  produced  only  48  bushels. 

"This  fertilizer,  as  seen  in  the  table,  nearly  trebles  the  yield  over 
the  plot  where  no  fertilizer  was  used.  .  .  .  What  is  said  of  guano 
is  largely  true  of  kainit  (German  potash  salts)  and  super-phosphate. 
These  substances  cost  less  than  the  guano." 

RHODE    ISLAND,   1890. 
By  C.  O.  Flagg,  Director.     Third  Annual  Report. 

"Muriate  of  potash  in  combination  produced  76  bushels  per  acre 
more  than  the  sulphate  of  potash  in  combination." 

WEST   VIRGINIA.   1892. 
By  D.  D.  Johnson,  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  20,  January,  1892. 

"The  best  results  were  obtained  from  the  combination  of  kainit 
(800  lbs.  per  acre)  with  acid  phosphate,  causing  an  increase  of  161  1-3 
bushels  per  acre.  The  increased  yield  caused  by  the  use  of  fertilizers 
was  at  the  rate  of  161  1-3  bushels  per  acre,  which,  at  40  cents  per 
bushel,  amounts  to  the  sum  of  $64.53  1-3,  leaving  a  net  profit  of 
$57.43  1-3  per  acre,  less  the  increased  labor  required  to  take  care  of 

the  increased  crop." 

1893. 
By  D.  D.  Johnson,  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  29.     This  experi- 
ment was  carried  out  at  the  Station  and  was  a  repetition  of  the  ex- 
periment made  in  1891.     Three  varieties  of  potatoes  were  used. 
"A  combination  of  kainit  and  S.  C.  dissolved  bone  produced  the 
greatest  amount  of  large  and  the  smallest  percentage  of  small  tubers." 
"Here  again  we   have   a  remarkable  agreement  with  the  facts 
brought  out  in  the  experiment  of  1891.     Plot  No.  5,  without  any  fer- 
tilization, produced  88^  lbs.,  while  plot  i,  with  43  lbs.  kainit,  produced 
140.4  lbs." 


SWIET   POTATOES.  59 

"Taking  the  experiments  of  1891  and  1892  together  we  find  a 
very  remarkable  agreement,  even  to  minute  details,  and  from  the 
results  of  these  experiments,  confining  our  conclusions  to  the  peculiar 
character  and  conditions  of  the  soil  upon  which  the  experiments  were 
conducted,  we  conclude  that  the  best  results  in  commercial  fertiliza- 
tion, as  tested,  will  be  secured  by  a  combination  of  potash  and  phos- 
phoric acid  in  the  ratio  of  2  to  i." 

POTATOES-SWEET. 

ARKANSAS.    1889. 

Experiment  by  A.  E.  Menke,  Director,  Newport  Branch  Station- 
Third  Annual  report.  Kainit  used  alone  produced  the  highest 
profit,  amounting  to  $25.50. 

DELAWARE,    1890. 
By  M.  Hayes,  Dover.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"Nearly  $40  per  acre  was  gained  by  the  use  of  $4.00  worth  of 
potash." 
Scarlet  Clover  as  Green  Manure  and  Fertilizer. 

"Of  any  single  element,  potash  yielded  the  largest  returns.     Of 
the  combinations,  scarlet  clover,  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  costing 
$8  per  acre,  returned  $52  worth  of  potatoes." 
By  John  Dager,  Camden.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"Taking  all  things  into  consideration,  the  muriate  of  potash  gave 
potatoes  most  uniform  in  size  and  best  all  around  for  the  market,  and 
the  probabilities  are  that  Mr.  Dager  would  succeed  best  by  selecting  the 
muriate.  Financially,  $4  worth  of  this  salt  yielded  I24  worth  of  product." 
By  C.  Wright.  Near  Seaford,  Sussex  Co.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"That  story  is  that  unfertilized  ground  can  produce  41  bushels  of 
sweet  potatoes  per  acre;  but  with  an  excess  of  potash  the  same  ground 
could  produce  105  bushels,  a  gain  of  64  bushels,  worth  $34,  for  an 
expenditure  of  $4.  Both  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen  increased  the 
yields,  but  relatively  to  a  very  trifling  extent.  The  presence  or  ab- 
sence of  potash  determined  the  crop. 

*The  results  say  plainly  that  potash  was  needed  for  that  soil  and 
crop. 

Conclusion:  "On  the  practical  outcome  of  the  series  the  results 
are  positive  enough.  Dropping  all  theories  they  stand  as  follows: 
Muriate  of  potash  when  used  alone  at  Dover  returned  $8  for  every 
dollar  invested  in  its  purchase." 


66  SW£Et   POtAtdfig. 

;       '  ^  -  GEORGrA    1890.  ^         ' 

By  G.  Speth,   HoRTicuLTURisT.     BuUetia   No.   ri.     Soil— Red  clay, 

with  clay;  subsoil.     The  effects  of  kainit  and  muriate  were  alike  cm 

the  average.     The  valufe  of  increase  above  the  cost  of  the  fertilizer 

varied  according  to  the  variety  of  the  potato^-^from  $37.43  to  $162.83 

per  acre.     The  cost  of  ithe  fertilizer  was  $10.2:7 •^cir^9;4o  respectively^ 

"The  yield  of  sweet  potatoes  is  governed  by  the  amount  o£  potash 

in  the  fertilizer.     A  fertilizer,  as  in  the  experiment,  analyzing  8  per 

cent,  phosphoric  acid^  3  per  cent,  ^monia,  and  id  per  cent,  of  potash 

is  the  most  effective  for  swe**  ipot^toes.- ' 

•  ■•  '^'-^        189*.  ••'^''■'       i     -"■    ■  ■-    ■  -  •>a^..M:jif.-: 

By  Hi  N.Starnes^  HORTltULTURiST.     Bulletin  Noi  25;  f^*^  teA    ;•  :Jili 

In  the  introduction  about  fertilizer  fequiirehients  for -thd  sweet 
potato  the  following  is  saidv  :  h  ^  j 

"Commercial  fertilizers  are  preferable  to  stable  manure.  iRecent 
fBiVestigations  have  developed:  th«  fact  that  the  sweet  .ptolato  f^eds 
much  more  grossly  on  both  nitrogen  and  potash  and  requireSjJess 
phosphoric  acid  than  was  formerly  supposed.'*      )         : .  i; 

By  H.  N.  Starnes,  HoRTicu|ii),URiST.     Bulletin  Noiisi^,  page!.i38^. 
^J|  i  jThe  yield  frondi  the  unfertilized  plots,  was  133  bu^els.     The  best 
yield  from  the  fertilized  plotSjjiyas  278  bushels,  v     ^      5:        , ,  ;,  .| 

"As  a  source  of  potash,  kainit  secjui^  to  be  prefpral)^,  to  muriate 
in.  nearly  every  cpmbination,  though  the  dififer^^ce^ is  pot  great.  In 
this  connectlon.it  may  be  staged  th^t.for  all  slow-growing^rops  kainit 
seems  to  Be  preferable  to  muriate,  as'  a  sou rpe  of  potash,  ^nd  cottor^-- 
seed  meat  to  nitrate  of  soda  ^as  a  solirce  of  nitrogen.  Wheri  lii^me- 
dikte  actiofe  is  desifiBle,  however,  the  'rever'^ie'  is  tiie  ^a^e."     '     "  •  *^' "  '^^* 

Experiment  bVH.  A.'  MoRfCAN  and  B.  B.  Ross  at  "BAToil^'feouGE, 
•-BulletinNo.^r3.'-/^     '^^^^"^^'  ■  ^^-'  '-  '      • -^    1  ^5r-» 

**Sweet  pUtatoes  i'equire  for'their  best  development  at  loose' pul- 
verulent sarMy  loam,  fairly  fertile,  partfculkrlj^  scJ  in .  phosphoria  acid 
and  potash."     ,    ■' *''^^  ■^iU\  '        ■■■-'^    -    -t  ^I.^.  ,:iJM  ;"'i: 

MARYLAND.  1892.  :»,^,<»^  ,f ,  k>^  ? 
By  E.  H.  Brinki^ey,  Assistant  Agriculturist.  Bulletin  No.  18. 
Soil — -Sandy  loam.  A  study  of  the  results  shows  that  the  average 
yield  per  acre  from  the  unmanured  plots  was  3599  lbs.  and  the^hrgn- 
''  esf'^jrield  otl^^Jn^3  from'siilphate  df ' potsisfi  l/s^^  ^t  th^^ratef  of  ^66  lbs. 
f)eP^cre^ahVa%^nted  to  6357  lbs.  fA*t  afi'fef,  aiirf  th^'  nexf  highest  yiefid 
^'cafh^ircMi  tM  Use  of  muriate  oFpOta^  &t  the  rate  if H 2 00  IbSi  f  (&r 
acre,  amounting  to  5920  lbs.  per  acre.     ii»i>      ,        ^^    S.*.irvr  .?  :  •      !' 


SWEET   POTATOES.  tl 

.^■.    -rio-q.    ■       •    .     ci2..K^E;W-'^ER^EY,   1886.      ,       ,.,,:.,,..., 

By  P.  A/A'^NOLD,  viNELAND,''CyMBERLANp  Co.     FiftH  Annual  Report. 

''Plots  4,  8,  9  and  1 1  have  given  cash  retui^ns)  ranging  from  four 
to  eleven  times  as  great  as  those  from  the  unmanured  plots;  said  plots 
have  also  only  one  point  in  common,  for  six  consecutive  years  each 
fias  received  a  heavy  dressing  annually  of  potash  in  a  soluble  form. 

"The  conclusion  is,  therefore,  positive,  thdt  for  raising  profitable 
crops  upon  this  farm  witli.the  present  rotation  potash  is  absolutely 
indispensable.  .       , 

1888. 

r-   r-    ^"    :;'-fv      .■      :    "•...  'H'  '  -K, '   ■  v:'  ■■ 

By  G.  H.  Cooke,  Director.^  .Budletin  No.  54. 

•;s  "A  field  experiment  with/fertilizers  was  begun  in  1882,  by  Mr.  A. 
P.  Arnold,  of  Vineland,  which  shows  very  cleary  two  points  in  regard! 
to  potash:  First,  its  directly  favorable  effect  on  sweet  potatoes,  as 
indicated  by  the  crop  of  1883,  and  second,  effect  in  improving  the 
CjTop-prOducing  power  of  the  soil  as  indicated  by  the  second  crop  of 
^weet:potatoes  in  1887.^^^  r:  ^ 

•TV  *^*At  the  close  of  the^rstuotation  in  xS8^,  the  following  conclu- 
sions in  reference  to  potash  were  reached: 

;  c  "i.  Potash  used  alone  on  plot  4  influenced  the  profits  in  a  very 
marked  manner.  The  increased  returns  from  its  use  were  sufficient 
to  leave  a  balance  of  $21.59  after  fertilizer  charges  had  been  met,  and 
due  credit  allowed  for  the  produce  from  the  unmanured  ground. 
$21.59  is  180  per  cent,  of  $12,  the  cost  of  600  ibs.  of  muriate  of  potash. 
:. .  "2.  Plots  7  and  8,  upon  which  potash  was  used  in  combination 
with  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid,  respectively,  also  gave  profitable 
crops,  the  net  gains  being  $23.1 6  in  one  case  and  $24.48  in  the  other. 
The  combination  of  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  (plot  9) 
called  for  the  largest  investment,  but  yielded  the  largest  net  profit, 
viz.,  $47.03,  or  no  per  cent,  of  $42.80,  the  miarket  value  of  2600  lbs.  of 
a  complete  potato  manure.  > 

i^l^  "The  sweet  potato  crop  of  1887,  compared  with  the  similar  crop 
upon  the  same  plots  in  1883,  shows  the  gain  or  loss  of  fertility  of  the 
plots  due  to  a  continued  use  of  manure  and  fertilizers.  :  i; 

r- .  I'Whejever  potash  was  i*sed,  the  improvement  in  the  value  of  the 
crop  varies  from  8  per  cent,  to  107  per  cent.  In  ail  cases  where 
potash  was  excluded  the  decrease  in:  the  value : of- the  second  potato 
crop  is  serious,  ranging  from  36  to  63  per  cent. 


62  SWEIT   POTATOIS. 

"The  results  from  the  use  of  muriate  of  potash  are  of  special  in- 
terest; the  crop  grown  with  its  aid  in  1883  was  worth  $64.58  per  acre; 
a  similar  crop  grown  upon  the  same  plot  in  1887  was  worth  $87.45  per 
acre;  the  improvement  in  the  land  consequently  may  be  placed  at  35 
per  cent. 

"The  cost  of  this  improvement  may  be  estimated  as  follows:  The 
total  value  of  all  crops  grown  upon  this  soil  during  the  past  six  years 
amounts  to  $197.22.  An  equal  area  of  unmanured  land  in  the  same 
crops  during  the  same  period  yielded  products  worth  I90.51;  the  in- 
crease caused  by  the  use  of  $19.50  worth  of  muriate  of  potash  is 
$106.71,  leaving  a  balance  of  $87.21  to  represent  the  net  returns  from 
an  acre  dressed  with  this  salt.  The  improvement  of  35  per  cent,  in  the 
crop-producing  power  of  this  plot,  has  therefore  been  gained  without 
sacrifices  of  any  kind." 

General  experience:  "To  the  results  of  the  experiment  is  added 
the  experience  of  practical  farmers,  secured  from  answers  to  a  circular 
letter  inquiring  about  the  effect  of  potash  upon  their  crops.  This  form 
was  sent  to  a  few  farmers  in  each  county  of  the  State.  Answers  have 
been  received  from  twenty-three,  representing  ten  counties;  of  these 
seventeen,  representing  nine  counties,  reported  the  profitable  and 
continued  use  of  either  muriate  of  potash,  kainit  or  unleached  wood 
ashes  as  a  fertilizer  for  potatoes,  corn,  grass  and  fruit.  Twelve 
farmers,  representing  eight  counties,  favored  the  used  of  muriate  of 
potash,  while  five  having  used  both  muriate  and  kainit,  were  satisfied 
that  kainit  gave  the  largest  returns  for  the  money  invested.  The 
weight  used  per  acre  ranged  for  corn  from  50  to  200  lbs.  of  muriate, 
and  from  300  to  500  lbs.  of  kainit.  The  crops  reported  as  being 
especially  benefited  were  corn,  potatoes,  fruit,  clover  and  oats.  With- 
out exception,  the  use  of  potash,  either  alone,  or  as  an  adjunct  to  farm 
manures,  was  regarded  as  highly  satisfactory  and  economical. 

"These  results,  gained  from  experiment,  and  confirmed  by  prac- 
tice, while  only  positive  for  the  farms  and  crops  represented,  should 
have  a  significance  for  those  farmers  who  have  not  tested  their  soils, 
because  they  not  only  demonstrate  that  soils,  differing  widely  both 
in  formation  and  previous  treatment,  respond  profitably  to  applica- 
tions of  potash  alone,  but  also  indicate  a  general  lack  of  potash  in  the 
soils  of  the  State,  and  consequently  point  out  the  importance  of  soil 
tests  by  the  farmers  themselves;  for  when  maximum  crops  can  be  se- 
cured by  the  application  of  potaah  alone,  it  is  poor  economy  to  apply 


me* — RYE — SORGHUK.  68 

complete  fertilizers,  costing  $40  per  ton,  in  which  1$  represents  the 

value  of  the  potash." 

1893. 

By  Theo.  Brown,  Swedesboro,  Gloucester  Co.   Sixth  Annual  Report. 

"The  experiment  this  year  shows  that  not  only  can  sweet  potatoes 
be  raised  by  chemical  manures  alone,  but  that  the  increased  yield  was 
sufficient  to  pay  a  considerable  profit. 

"The  average  net  gain  for  1892-1893  from  the  use  of  chemicals  is 
I22.65,  while  that  from  the  horse  manure  has  been  hardly  sufficient  to 
pay  the  cost  of  the  manure." 

RICE. 

NORTH    CAROLINA,   1882. 
By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.     Annual  Report. 

"A  few  isolated  trials  encourage  us  to  hope  that  in  kainit  we  have 
an  agent  to  assist  in  the  restoration  of  our  worn-out  rice  lands." 

RYE. 

MASSACHUSETTS   (Stat*    Station),   1891. 

Station  Experiment  by  C.  A.  Goessmann,  Director.  Annual  Re- 
port, 1 89 1. 
"The  most  conspicuous  result  of  the  field  experiment,  carried  on 
upon  field  A  during  the  years  1884  to  1888,  consists  in  the  very  strik- 
ing illustration  of  a  marked  deficiency  of  the  soil  on  trial  of  available 
potash,  as  compared  with  the  other  essential  articles  of  plant  food." 

1895. 
By  William  P.  Brooks,  Agriculturist.     Thirty-third  Annual  Report. 
"This  crop  is  most  largely  increased  by  muriate  of  potash  and 
nitrate  of  soda,  but  responds  much  less  freely  to  an  application  of  fer- 
tilizers than  corn." 

RHODE    ISLAND.   1890. 

By  C.  O.  Flagg,  Director.    Third  Annual  Report. 

"Potash  increased  the  yield  of  grain  two  or  three  fold."    . 

SORGHUM. 

NEW   JERSEY,   1883* 

The  experiments  of  1881  and  1882  were  repeated  in  1883. 

"Potash  alone  develops  more  sugar  per  acre  than  any  other  single 
material.     ... 

"The  conclusion,  then,  from  this  experiment  is,  that  potash  was 
the  element  ^yhicb  influenced  sugar  production  in  sorghum  roost 
favorably."  ' 


'64  STRAWBERRIES— SUGA.R    BEETS. 

By  E.  B.  Voorhees,  Bulletin  No.  54.     Summary  of  nisld  experiihents 

for  the  years  1881,  1882,  1883,  1884  and  1885. 
;,       ^'Each  experiment  was  made  upon  sod  ground  on  widely  different 
^sections  of  the  ^College  Farm."  ^<\.- 

Yield  of  Sorghum:  **i.  Without  exception,  under  all  the  varying 
conditions  of  soil  and  seasons,  muriate  of  potash  used  alone  has 
noticeably  increased  the  total  weight  of  the  sorghum  crop. 

"2.  Without  exception,  this  increase  each  year  has  exceeded  that 
caused  by  phosphoric  acid  and  nitrogen  used  either  alone,  or  in 
combination  with  each  other." 

Yield  of  sugar:  ^^.  Without  exception,  this  increase  has  ex- 
ceeded that  caused  by  a  coni^ination  of  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and 
•potash.  , 

"The  results  secured  from  similar  experiments  on  sorghum,  at 
Rio  Grande,  Cape  May  County,  during  1885,  1886  and  1887,  cor- 
roborate the  above  statements  in  nearly  every  particular,  and  admit  of 
the  conclusion  th|t  potash  is  the  element  which  exerts  the  most 
marked  influence  upon  the  yield  of  sorghum  and  upon  the  production 
of  sugar." 

STRAWBERRIES. 

GEORGIA.    1891. 

Prof.  G.  Speth,  Horticulturist  of  The  Station,  in  Bulletin 
No.'i5,  recommends  a  fertilizer  for  strawberries  being  composed  of 
acid  phosphate,  muriate  of  potash  and  cotton-seed  meal,  which  would 
show  in  an  analysis  2.7  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid,  15.5  per  cent,  potash 
and  4  98  per  cent,  ammonia.  This  might  be  supplemented  early  in 
spring  with  200  lbs.  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre. 

SUGAR     BEETS. 

NEBRASKA,    1893. 

By  H.  H.  Nicholson  and  T.  L.  Lyon.     Bulletin  No.  27.     The  largest 
yield  was  obtained  from  the  use  of  kainit,  amounting  to  5370  lbs.  of 
sugar  per  acre.     The  next  largest  was  from  a  mixture  of  bone  dust^ 
kainit  and  nitrate  of  soda,  amounting  to  5067  lbs.  of  sugar  per  acre. 
"The  application  of  bone  dust  and  kainit  increases  the  sugar  con- 
tent and  yield  of  beets."    . 

1894. 

By  H.  H.  Nicholson  and  E.  E.  Nicholson.     Bulletin  No.  36.     The 

.     experiments  on  the  sugar  beets  reported  for  1892  were  continued 

;.  and;,  as  before,  the  best  results  ^wr.ere.obtained  from  the  use  of  kainit, 

which  gave  a  yield  of  3640  lbs,  of  sugar  per  acre. 


SUGAR    CANE — TIMOTHY  — TOBACCO.  6 

SUGAR     CANE. 

LOUISIANA.    1886. 

Experiment  by  W.  C.  Stubbs,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  14. 

"An  inspection  of  our  results  will  show  that  potash  has  increased 
the  tonnage  to  a  marked  extent,  in  one  instance  as  much  as  8^  tons 
over  meal  and  phosphate. 

"For  the  present  it  suffices  to  know  that  potassic  manures  used  in 
large  quantities  on  these  black  lands  did  produce  an  increased  tonnage. 

MISSISSIPPI.   1889. 
By  S.  M.  Tracy,  Director.     Annual  Report. 

"The  largest  amount  of  total  solids  in  the  juice  was  from  plot  7, 
which  received  100  lbs.  of  muriate  of  potash." 

TIMOTHY. 

KENTUCKY.    1889. 

Experiment  by  M.  A.  Scovell,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  23. 
Soil — Blue  grass,  wet  land. 

''The  potash  fertilizers  gave  much  the  better  results  on  timothy." 
MASSACHUSETTS   (Hatch    Station,)   1892. 
Bulletin  No.    18,  April,  1892.      Special  Corn  Fertilizer  vs.    Fertilizer 
Rich  in  Potash: 

"The  results  were  similar  to  those  obtained  with  corn.  .  .  . 
The  average  (of  the  special  corn  fertilizers)  costing  within  four  cents 
of  $3  more  per  acre,  gave  a  crop  worth  at  least  (at  current  prices  for 
common  millet)  $6.38  less  per  acre  than  the  fertilizer  rich  in  potash,  a 
net  advantage  in  favor  of  the  latter  fertilizer  of  $9.34.  This  result 
affords  further  evidence,  therefore,  of  the  correctness  of  my  conclusion 
in  regard  to  fertilizers.  They  are,  undoubtedly,  as  a  rule,  too  poor  in 
potash." 

TOBACCO. 

KENTUCKY,    1889. 

Experiment  by  M.  A.  Scovell,  Director.  Bulletin  No.  28.  Ex- 
periments were  made  to  determine  the  amount  of  yield  from  the  use 
of  fertilizers.  The  increase  of  yield  was  very  marked  and  seems 
most  favorable  from  the  combination  of  potash  and  nitrogen.  The 
clear  profit  derived  from  the  use  of  fertilizers  amounted  to  $100.95 
on  the  field  treated  with  sulphate  of  potash  and  nitrate  of  soda. 
The  complete  mixture  yielded  a  profit  of  $107.70. 

Conclusions:    ''Potash  and  nitrogen  in  combination  seem  to  be 

required  to  produce  the  best  results. 


66  TOBACCO. 

"There  is  a  handsome  profit  by  using  fertilizers  in  the  best  com- 
binations." 

1893. 
Experiment  on  Tobacco,  Corn  and  Potatoes.     Bulletin  No.  45. 

General  summary:  "Results  obtained  in  1892  are  almost  identi- 
cal with  those  of  the  last  four  years,  that  is : 

"i.  Wherever  potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients  of  the  fertilizer 
used,  whether  on  corn,  tobacco  or  potatoes,  there  was  an  increased 
yield. 

"2.  That  where  phosphoric  acid  or  nitrogen  or  both  were  used 
without  potash,  there  was  scarcely  any  increase  in  yield  over  those 
plots  receiving  no  fertilizer. 

"3.     That  there  was  a  profit  in  the  use  of  fertilizer  in  every  in- 
stance where  potash  was  one  of  the  ingredients." 
By  a.  M.  Peter.     Bulletin  No.  46. 

"For  lack  of  space  we  can  only  call  attention  here  to  the  very  re- 
markable agreement  of  these  results  for  a  series  of  years  in  showing 
the  benefit  derived  from  a  liberal  use  of  potash  fertilizers  on  the  soil 
of  the  Station  farm.  In  nearly  every  instance  potash  produced  a  very 
marked  increase  in  the  yield;  and,  in  some  cases,  it  was  the  most  profit- 
able fertilizer  used.  The  use  of  potash  and  nitrogen,  or  of  potash 
nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  together,  often  produced  a  still  greater 
yield,  but  the  profit  was  often  taken  up  in  the  additional  cost  of  the 
nitrogen,  which  is  the  most  expensive  constituent  of  fertilizers.  A  very 
conspicuous  exception  to  the  above  statement  was  proven  in  the  case 
of  tobacco,\vhere  the  greatest  profit  was  obtained  from  the  use  of  pot- 
ash and  nitrogen  together.  The  tobacco  crop  requires  a  great  deal  of 
both  of  these,  but  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  phosphoric  acid." 

MARYLAND,   1894. 
By  H.  J.  Patterson,  Chemist.     Bulletin  No.  26. 

Experiments  were  made  by  the  Station  in  the  principal  tobacco 
districts  of  the  State.  Regarding  the  effect  of  potash  salts  upon  the 
burning  quality,  it  was  found  that  "sulphate  of  potash  produced  a 
better  burning  tobacco  than  any  other  of  the  potash  salts." 

"High  grade  sulphate  of  potash  is  the  best  source  of  potash." 
NORTH    CAROLINA,   1893. 
By    R.   p.   McAnally,   Saxon,   Rockingham  Co.      Bulletin  No.   89. 
Soil — Dark  grav  fftndy  land,  newly  cleaned.    This  experiment  was 


TOMATOES.  67 

a  soil  test,  combined  with  test  to  ascertain  the  best  form  and  amount 
of  potash  to  use.  The  highest  net  gain,  amounting  to  $138.07,  came 
from  a  combination  of  cotton-seed  meal  with  muriate  of  potash,  pro- 
ducing 237  lbs.  of  tobacco  per  acre,  against  87  lbs.  on  the  unmanured 
plots.  Single  elements  alone  produced  also  a  good  increase,  of  which 
potash  produced  the  most. 

"In  the  above  discussion,  those  plots  on  which  potassium  chloride 
was  used  have  been  shown  to  have  excelled  all  others  in  total  product 
in  net  cash  value,  and  in  total  cash  value,  save  that  the  heaviest  ap- 
plication of  kainit  balanced  the  lowest  of  potassium  chloride  in  total 
cash  value,  and  stands  next  to  it  in  net  result;  while  the  lowest  appli- 
cation of  potassium  sulphate  resulted  in  giving  the  highest  price  per 

pound." 

PENNSYLVANIA.    1893. 

Report  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  for  the  year  1893,  p.  8^. 

'*The  double  carbonate  of  potash  and  magnesia  slightly  surpassed 

the  sulphate  of  potash,  the  effect  being  most  noticeable  at  Rocky 

Spring." 

1894. 

By  Wm.  Frear  and  E.  J.  Haley.    Bulletin  No.  30.    Experiments  were 
begun  in  1893  and  continued  in  1894,  from  which  the  following  con- 
clusions were  drawn: 
"The   tobacco   grown   with   the  use  of  a  fertilizer  composed  of 
dissolved  bone  black,  double  carbonate  of  potash  and  magnesia,   and 
cotton-seed  meal  gave  especially  large  leaves  of  highly  desirable  text- 
ure; next  to  these  came  leaves  grown  with  a  fertilizer  composed  of 
dissolved  bone  black,  sulphate  of  potash,  cotton-seed  meal,  and  sul- 
phate of  ammonia.     Pending  full  report,  these  fertilizers  are  especially 
commended  for  use." 

TOMATOES. 

DELAWARE,    1890. 

By  J.  Heyd,  near  Fulton,  Kent  Co.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"Nitrate  of  soda  is  regarded  as  a  specific  for  this  plant.  This  has 
been  demonstated  several  times.  Mr.  Heyd's  work,  however,  shows 
that  exceptions  to  this  rule  may  be  expected.  Neither  alone  or  in  com- 
bination with  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  did  the  nitrate  prove  that  it 
causes  an  increase  sufficient  to  pay  for  its  purchase  and  use. 

**If  a  profit  results  from  any  application,  it  must  be  credited  tc 
the  mixture  of  phosphoric  acid  aod  potash.    At  $6  per  ton,  of  toraatoc8.« 


68  TOMATOES. 

the  amount  of  said  increase  would  amount  to  $15;  the  cost  of  the  ap- 
plication would  approximate  one-third  of  said  sum. 

"The  sweet  potato  tests  demonstrate  that  muriate  of  potash  can 
be  used  with  average  profit  of  eight  to  one." 

GEORGIA,    1890. 
By  R.  J.  Redding,  Director.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"The  results  indicate  that  mixed  minerals  with  larger  rations  of 
nitrogen  are  productive  of  the  largest  yield,  and  greatest  earliness. 

"The  effect  of  nitrogen  depends  upon  the  presence  of  the  mineral 
elements — phosphate  and  potash." 

MARYLAND,    1889. 
By  W.  H.  Bishop,  Horticulturist.     Annual  Report.      Soil — Clayey- 
loam  mixed  with  gravel. 

"Thus  there  are  indications  from  this  experiment  that  the  regu- 
lating ingredients  in  a  fertilizer  for  tomatoes  on  this  soil  are  nitrogen 
and  potash,  while  phosphoric  acid  has  less  effect." 
By  H.  J.  Patterson,  Chemist.     Annual  Report.      The  effect  of  fer- 
tilizers on  the  composition. 

The  results  indicate:  "That  potash  has  the  effect  of  producing 
a  fruit  with  more  dry  substance,  accompanied  by  a  slight  decrease  in 
the  sugar  and  an  increase  in  the  acid.  This,  when  considered  with 
the  increase  of  the  yield,  is  favorable  to  the  use  of  potash." 

1890. 
By  the  Horticulturist  and  Chemist.     Bulletin  No.  11. 

"Potash  appears  to  increase  the  crop  more  than  either  of  the  other 
elements  of  plant-food,  and  nitrogen  stood  next  in  this  respect.  .  .  . 
Nitrate  of  soda  and  muriate  of  potash  can  be  recommended  as  a 
special  fertilizer  for  the  tomato."  ^ 

Summary  by  H.  E.  Alvord,  Director. 

"Potash  alone  as  muriate  gave  good  results;  better  than  some 
mixtures. 

"Nitrate  and  muriate  of  potash  can  be  recommended  as  special 
fertilizers  for  the  tomato. 

"The  vines  and  roots  of  the  tomato  are  very  rich  in  potash." 

1891. 
Annual  Reporl  for  1891,  page  411. 

"Plots  3  and  9  have  equal  quantities  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  the 
latter  has  potash  also.  This  addition  of  potash  appears  to  have  in- 
creased the  crop  nearly  50  per  cent,  in  1890,  and  to  have  more  than 
doubled  it  in  1891, "  ^ 


69 


EXPERIMENT  FARM  AT  SOUTHERN  PINES,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


VIEW   OF   THE    EXPERIMENT    FARM    AT    SOUTHERN    PINES.    NORTH    CAROLINA, 
VEGETABLE   DEPARTMENT. 


The  above  illustration  shows  a  portion  of  the  vegetable  department  of  the 
Experimental  Farm  of  the  North  Carolina  State  Horticultural  Society  at  Southern 
Pines  in  that  State.  This  farm  is  being  conducted  by  the  North  Carolina  Horti- 
cultural Society  in  co-operation  with  the  North  Carolina  Experiment  Station  and 
its  object  is  to  ascertain  the  relative  proportions  of  the  three  principal  fertilizer 
ingredients,  Potash,  Phosphoric  Acid  and  Nitrogen,  needed  by  various  crops  for 
their  best  development. 

This  enterprise  is  of  much  importance  to  all  American  farmers  since  it  is  the 
first  attempt  in  this  country  to  study  the  problem  of  proper  plant  nutrition  on 
such  an  extensive  scale.  The  experiments  conducted  here  are  after  the  pattern 
of  the  celebrated  experiments  of  Rothamsted  in  England,  and  results  forthcom- 
ing are  being  watched  with  the  greatest  interest  by  agricultural  investigators. 


70  TURNIPS VEGETABLES. 

MISSISSIPPI,    1893. 

Tomato  Blight.  Sixth  Annual  Report,  1893,  page  53.  A  line  of 
experiments  brought  out  the  fact  that  kainit  is  an  efficient  remedy 
against  this  destructive  disease. 

"With  these  facts  in  mind,  it  is  evident  that  neither  the  lime,  to- 
bacco  nor  plaster  had  any  effect  on  the  blight.  Plots  8  and  9,  however, 
treated  with  a  heavy  dressing  of  kainit,  show  a  decided  falling  off  in 
the  number  of  blighted  plants,  there  being  on'y  33  for  one  and  42  for 
the  other,  while  the  neighboring  two  plots  to  the  east  show  93  plants 
each  and  to  the  west  58  and  72  respectively.  This  difference  of  over 
50  per  cent,  must  be  credited  to  the  effect  of  the  kainit." 

NEW   JERSEY,   1889. 
By   C.    M.  'Houssell,    Dunham's  Corners,   Middlesex  Co.      Tenth 
Annual  Report.     Soil — Sandy  loam. 

Consideration  of  yield:  ''Fifteen  thousand  acres  were  devoted  to 
raising  tomatoes  in  the  State.  The  crop  is  worth  more  than  one  mil- 
lion dollars;  it  ranks  even  with  wheat,  above  rye  and  buckwheat.  Ni- 
trate of  soda  is  very  effective;  its  action  is  largely  dependent  upon  the 
application  and  presence  of  phosphoric  acid  and  potash. 

"Whatever  previous  treatment  of  the  soil  or  the  yield,  phosphoric 
acid  and  potash  should  be  added  in  sufficient  quantities." 

TURNIPS. 

ALABAMA,    1888. 

By  J.  S.  Newman,  Director  and  Agriculturist.     Bulletin  No.  3. 

"Kainit  gave  a  larger  yield  than  any  other  single  substance.  It 
will  be  observed  also  that  the  application  of  the  same  number  of  pounds 
of  kainit  and  cotton-seed  hull  ashes  resulted  in  favor  of  the  former, 
though  the  cotton-seed  hull  ashes  contained  an  average  of  about  twice 
the  per  cent,  of  potash." 

VEGETABLES, 

MASSACHUSETTS.     1895. 

By  Chas.  a.  Goessmann,  Chemist.     Thirty-third  Annual  Report. 

"From  our  observations,  extending  over  three  years,  we  arrived  at 
the  following  conclusions: 

"Potash  in  the  form  of  sulphate  has  given  the  most  satisfactory 
results,  as  compared  with  muriate,  in  the  case  of  potatoes,  tomatoes, 
lettuce  and  spinach,  and  with  onions  during  the  present  season." 

Conclusions:  "i.  Sulphate  of  potash,  in  connection  with  nitrate 
of  soda  (plot  5)  has  given  in  every  case  but  one  the  best  results. 


WHEAT — POTASH    AS    INSECTICIDE    AND    FUNGICIDE.  71 

WHEAT. 

KENTUCKY,    1890. 

Experiment  by  Anderson  Jefferies,  Glendale,  Hardin  Co.  Bul- 
letin No.  30. 

''This  indicates  that  fertilizer,  rich  in  potash,  would  be  best  on 
Mr.  Jefferies'  land  " 

NEW   JERSEY,    1882. 
By  W.  a.  Styles,  Deckertown,  Sussex  Co.     Bulletin  No.  26. 

"The  highest  yield  came  from  barn-yard  manure  and  complete 
mixture,  but  by  no  means  the  highest  profit.  The  highest  profit  re- 
sulted from  the  single  application  of  potash." 

VIRGINIA,  1892. 
By  D.  O,  Nourse,  Agriculturist,     Bulletin  No.  21. 

"Dealing  with  the  three  elements  in  combination,  we  find  that  if 
the  potash  is  reduced  one-half,  the  yield  is  also  reduced;  while  if  in- 
creased one-half,  the  yield  also  shows  an  increase.  This  only  when  in 
combination  with  the  other  elements." 

POTASH  AS  INSECTICIDE  AND  FUNGICIDE. 

ALABAMA,    1892. 

Leaf  Blight  of  Cotton,  by  G.  F.  Atkinson.  Biological  Bulletin 
No.  36.  Yellow  leaf  blight  of  cotton  is  very  destructive,  especially 
in  some  years.  It  is  due  likely  to  both  improper  nutrition  and  un- 
favorable physical  condition  of  the  soil.  Prof.  Atkinson's  experi- 
ments show  that  by  the  use  of  kainit,  leaf  blight  is  largely,  if  not 
entirely  prevented,  and  the  yield  of  cotton  increased.  This  is  cor- 
roborated by  many  farmers. 

Leaf  Blight  Experiments,  i.  At  Hope  Hull,  on  the  farm  of  A.  H. 
Clark.     Soil — Black  loam. 

"There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  effect  of  kainit,  as  my  former 

experience  is  the  same  as  that  of  this  year,  but  I  think  to  thoroughly 

prevent  the  disease,  it  would  require  not  less  than  500  or  600  lbs.  per 

acre.     (Kainit.)" 

2.     Experiments  at  the  Station  Farm,  Auburn: 

"In  all  of  these  plots  it  was  easy  to  see  by  comparison  with  the 

others,  that  the  entire  or  partial  prevention  of  the  disease  was  due  to 

the  kainit. 


KAINIT  CURES  COTTON   BLIGHT. 


WITHOUT  KAINIT.  WITH  KAINIT. 

RESULTS  OBTAINED   AT  THE  ALABAMA   EXPERIMENT   STATION. 


71 


f  of  ASH    AS    tNSECttClGfi    AKD    J'UNGlCIDft.  1^3 

"The  yield  of  kainit  plots  is  increased  from  70  per  cent,  to  100 
per  cent,  above  that  where  no  fertilizer  was  used,  and  an  average  of 
40  per  cent,  increase  over  that  of  any  other  fertilizer  or  combination, 
without  the  kainit  used. 

"During  the  latter  part  of  September,  I  photographed  plots  4  and 
5.     The  result  is  reproduced  in  plate  i. 

''These  experiments  indicate  then,  that  with  such  a  season  as  the 
past  one,  and  where  the  other  nutritive  matters  are  present,  kainit  not 
only  tends  to  prevent  the  disease,  but  also  increases  the  yield."     - 

Yellow  Leaf  Blight  of  Cotton,  by  G;  F.  Atkinson.  Bulletin  No. 
41.  Mention  is  made  of  a  field  of  cotton,  upon  which  a  heavy  dose 
of  fertilizer  was  used  without  kainit,  and  which  was  badly  affected 
by  blight.     Prof.  Atkinson,  in  regard  to  this'field,  says: 

"Had  200  lbs.  to  300  lbs.  per  acre  kainit  been  applied  at  the  time' 
of  the  planting,  the  yield  might  have  been  nearly  doubled." 
Continuation  of  experiments  as  reported  in  Bulletin  No.  36  by  Mr,  A, 
H.  Clark,  of  Hope  Hull: 

"September  i6th  I  visited  Mr.  Clark  for  the  purpose  of  observing 
the  result  of  the  experiment  as  presented  in  the  appearance  of  the 
foliage  of  the  plant.  The  result  was  very  marked  and  plainly  indicated 
the  value  of  kainit  in  checking  the  disease.  Mr.  Clark  writes  about, 
the  experiments  as  follows:  *It  is  plain  that  kainit  is  a  specific  for  the 
disease." 

CALIFORNIA,    1880. 

By  E.  W.  Hilgard,  Director.  Special  Report  No.  i  of  the  College 
of  Agriculture.  The  attack  of  phylloxera  on  the  vines  produces  a 
diminution  of  potash  and  albumen  normally  contained  in  the  juice. 
The  indication  that  potash  with  nitrogenous  manures  would  miti- 
gate the  effect  on  the  vines  produced  by  phylloxera  has  been  verified 
by  experience. 

"The  use  of  these  manures  alone  has  so  far  improved  the  condition 
of  the  vines  as  to  neutralize  the  injuries  done  by  the  insect,  and  re- 
store them  to  their  usual  productiveness.  In  all  cases  where  the  vines 
were  not  too  far  gone,  the  condition  has  been  materially  improved  by 
the  application. 

"Potassic  manures  appear  to  exert  the  most  decided  Tcffect,  &jxd 
fortunately   the    material   which   supplies   this    important   substance* 
(kainit)  can  now  be  readily  obtained  in  commerce." 


t4  t*OtASti    AS   lKs6CtICit)E    AND    FtJNGICtDK. 

NEW    JERSEY,    1890. 

By  J.  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.     Eleventh  Annual  Report. 

"Potash  has  heretofore  been  known  only  as  a  fertilizer  of  very 
high  grade.  Experiments  made  by  me  during  the  past  year,  prove 
that  it  has  a  high  value  as  an  insecticide  as  well.  It  is  effective  against 
plant  lice  of  all  kinds,  against  many  naked  larvae,  and  against  the 
wire-worms  (lulus)  on  potatoes.  It  also  kills  cabbage  maggots. 
Though  I  have  tested  it  principally  on  over-ground  insects,  yet  its 
greatest  field  of  usefulness  is  against  those  pests  that  live  in  the  ground 
or  around  the  roots  of  plants.  In  localities  in  which  corn  is  infested  by 
cut-worms,  wire-worms,  etc.,  a  heavy  dressing  of  potash  before  plant- 
ing will  destroy  all  the  insects  in  the  ground  at  that  time.  For  the 
corn-root  louse  I  have  no  doubt  this  will  prove  a  perfect  remedy.  Where 
potato  ground  is  infested  with  the  wire  worms  (lulus)  a  heavy  dressing 
with  kainit  will  bring  relief.  Peach  orchards  that  are  infested  with  the 
black  peach  aphis  on  the  roots  can  be  renovated  by  the  use  of  the  same 
substance.  On  bringing  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  farmers,  many 
have  been  able  to  recollect  that  with  the  use  of  potash  certain  insect 
troubles  ceased;  but  they  did  not  heretofore  credit  the  potash  with  that 
result.  This  item  is  especially  commended  to  peach-growers  in  South 
Jersey.  The  kainit  is  preferable  to  the  muriate  as  an  insecticide." 
By  J.  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.  ^  Bulletin  No.  75. 

'  "According  to  the  experience  of  many  farmers,  potash  salts  are 
very  effective  as  insecticides,  destroying  grubs  and  cut  worms,  scales 
on  peach  trees,  cabbage  maggots,  plant  lice  and  corn-root  louse.  By 
experiment  it  was  shown  that  potash  salts,  preferably  kainit  were  very 
effective  in  killing  insects." 

Rose  Chafer,  Use  of  Kainit.     By  J.  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.     Bul- 
letin No.  82.     Suggestions  for  practice: 

"Prevent  the  breeding  of  the  insects  on  your  own  land.  Either 
late  in  the  fall  or  early  in  the  spring,  land  should  be  plowed  and  top- 
dressed  with  kainit." 

1891. 
Cut-Worms,    Wire-Worms,   Root-Lice.       By   J.    B.    Smith,    Ento- 
mologist.    Bulletin  No.  85. 

"Potash  is  a  necessary  element  of  plant-food  for  corn,  and  if,  in 
supplying  the  potash,  kainit  be  used,  injury  (from  wire-worms)  will 
be  almost  entirely  prevented.  Muriate  of  potash  is  also  effective,  but 
less  so  than  kainit.  The  evidence  of  all  the  farmers  now  using  kainit 
for  corn,  and  with  whom  I  have  talked  on  the  subject,  is  to  the  one 


POTASH    AS  INSECTICIDE   AND   FUNGICIDE.  ^6 

purpose — since  they  have  used  potash  salts  the  corn  has  been  practi- 
cally exempt  from  injury  by  cut- worms  or  wire-worms.  That  kainit 
will  kill  even  true  wire-worms  (Elater  Larvae).  I  have  proved  experi- 
mentally." 

''Therefore,  I  advise  the  application  of  kainit  as  a  top-dressing, 
just  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  ready  to  receive  it,  and  as  long  as  possible 
before  planting." 

.  .  .  .  ''During  the  season  of  1890,  I  found  in  a  fine  peach  orchard 
several  trees  undoubtedly  infested  by  root-lice.  I  directed  the  appli- 
cation of  kainit  in  a  trench,  and  the  new  foliage  was  normal." 

"Root-lice  are  very  much  more  common  and  infest  a  greater  va- 
riety of  crops  than  is  generally  known,  causing  a  sickly  appearance  in 
the  plants,  for  which  there  is  no  apparent  explanation.  One  of  the 
prominent  fruit  and  truck  growers  of  South  Jersey  informed  me  re- 
cently that  he  always  used  potash  in  the  form  of  kainit,  not  because  it 
was  always  best  for  his  crops,  but  because  it  was  always  the  worst  for 
the  insects.     This  gentleman  is  one  of  those  that  make  farming  pay." 

Foot  Note:  "Bulletin  No.  ;^;^  of  the  Cornell  Station  has  come 
into  my  hands  since  this  bulletin  was  sent  to  the  printer.  In  it  Prof. 
Comstock  reports  poor  success  in  laboratory  experiments  with  kainit 
as  against  wire-worms.  Space  is  lacking  here  to  go  into  details,  but 
I  will  do  so  in  the  Annual  Report.  That  laboratory  experiments  do 
not  always  indicate  what  will  happen  in  the  field  the  following  will 
show: 

"On  the  Voorhees  farm,  in  Somerset  County,  a  fourteen-acre  field 
was  divided  into  sections,  to  test  kainit  and  muriate  of  potash  as 
fertilizers,  and  a  strip  of  seven  rows  was  left  untreated  between.  The 
land  was  known  to  be  badly  infested  with  wire-worms  and  cut-worms, 
or  grub- worms,  more  especially  one  low  meadow.  In  the  half  treated 
with  kainit  the  corn  came  up  well  and  was  not  molested  by  insect&  at 
all;  on  the  muriate  half  the  injury  was  much  lessened,  and  in  the 
untreated  rows,  running  the  full  length  of  the  field,  almost  the. whole 
was  destroyed  by  insects.  The  experiment  was  not  made  to  test 
insecticide  effect,  but  the  results  were  so  apparent  that  Mr.  Voorhees 
spoke  of  them  at  once,  and  reports  that  since  using  kainir  '  '-as  no 
further  trouble  with  either  wire-worms  or  cut-worms.  This  lias  also 
been  the  efxperience  of  his  neighbors,  and  of  all  who  have  been 
questioned  by  me.  I  therefore  again  repeat  my  advice,  use  kainit 
Wherever  practicable."  -  •      .  >       i4>i 


Td-  !K)tAStt    AS    INSECTlCtt)^.    ANt)    fUNGIClDft. 

1893. 

Onion  Maggots,  BY  John  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.     Fourteenth  An- 
nual Report,  page  441. 

'•Quite  early  in  the  year  Mr.  Theo.  F.  Baker,  of  Bridgeton,  wrote 
that  the  maggots  had  suddenly  made  their  appearance  in  his  land  in 
very  large  numbers,  and  he  asked  for  suggestions.  This  was  rather 
a  surprise  to  me,  because  Mr.  Baker  had  stated  positively  during  the 
preceding  winter  that  no  trace  of  the  onion  maggot  had  been  here- 
tofore seen  on  his  land.  He  repeated  this  statement  and  added  that 
he  has  known  the  insect  from  other  localities  and  felt  positive  that 
this  was  the  first  appearance  in  his  fields.  Nor  did  any  of  his  neigh- 
bors seem  to  have  known  of  it  until  the  present  season.  The  appear- 
ance in  such  numbers,  therefore,  was  a  matter  of  some  surprise.  For- 
tunately, the  growers  of  onions  in  that  immediate  vicinity  were  fully 
alive  to  the  consequence  that  might  result  from  the  increase  of  the 
insect,  and  they  at  once  adopted  heroic  measures.  The  entire  fields 
were  gone  over,  row  by  row,  and  all  plants  that  showed  signs  of  infec- 
tion were  taken  out  bodily  and  afterwards  destroyed.  Then  heavy 
dressings  of  kainit  were  applied,  with  the  result  that  no  further  traces 
of  these  maggots  were  seep  at  any  time  in  the  season." 
Pear  Midge,  by  John  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.  Fourteenth  Annual 
Report,  page  444. 
"At  my  suggestion,  Mr.  J.  M.  White,  of  New  Brunswick,  whose 
orchard  became  infested  last  season,  applied  a  very  heavy  top-dressing 
of  kainit  (1000  lbs.  per  acre)  under  the  infested  trees,  with  the  result 
that  this  year  his  orchard  was  practically  free  from  the  midge,  while 
in  the  neighboring  orchard,  which  was  also  infested  last  year,  and 
where  no  measures  of  any  kind  had  been  taken,  every  Lawrence  pear 
was  destroyed,  while  many  of  the  Bartletts  were  also  attacked." 
Pear  Midge,  by  John  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.  Fourteenth  Annual 
Report,  page  455.  Experiments  were  made  to  confirm  the  experience 
gained  in  the  practice  of  testing  the  effect  of  fertilizers  against  pear 
midge. 

"From  Mr.  White's  experience,  and  from  the  results  of  the  ex- 
periments above  detailed,  I  feel  justified  in  concluding  that  we  have 
in  kainit,  used  rather  heavy  in  fertilizing  quantity,  an  efficient  remedy 
for  this  insect.  The  application  should  be  made  under  the  trees  as  a 
top-dressing  at  any  time  after  the  midge  larvae  have  left  the  infested 
fruit.    This  means  any  time  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  or  somewhat 


POTASH    AS    INSECTICIDE    AND    FUNGICIDE*  ,.77 

later  in  the  season.     I  would  recommend  the  application  being  jnade 
before  or  immediately  after  a  rain,  early  in  July." 
Corn  Root  Web-Worm,  by  John  B.  Smith,  Entomologist.      Four- 
teenth Annual  Report,  page  478. 

"Direct  application  of  insecticides  is  not  feasible  as  against  these 
insects;  but  a  very  great  advantage  is  everywhere  found  in  favor  of 
those  using  the  mineral  fertilizers.  ...  I  would  very  strongly 
advise  the  application  of  all  the  necessary  potash  in  the  form  of  kainit, 
put  on  as  a  top-dressing  after  the  field  is  prepared  for  planting,  and  I 
would  expect  to  find  good  results  from  this  practice.  Fall  plowing 
and  kainit  as  a  top-dressing  in  spring,  will,  I  feel  convinced,  destroy  by 
all  odds  the  greatest  proportion  of  the  web-worms  that  may  infest  the 
sod,  and  would  also  destroy  or  lessen  many  other  pests  which  trouble 
corn  during  the  early  part  of  its  life." 

NORTH    CAROLINA,    1882. 

By  C.  W.  Dabney,  Director.  Fifth  Annual  Report.  Cotton  Rust 
and  blight. 

"So  far  as  our  experiments  go,  kainit  appears  to  be  be  the  most 
effective  agent  which  has  ever  been  used  against  those  destructive  and 
mysterious  diseases  of  cotton  which  we  call  rust  and  blight." 

*'It  is  now  the  quite  general  opinion  that  kainit  will  prevent  the 
rust  in  cotton  in  a  great  majority  of  instances;  at  least,  the  illustrations 
of  this  are  very  numerous,  and  there  is  hardly  a  dissenting  voice.  .  . 
One  farmer  in  an  eastern  county,  where  they  know  all  about  both  com- 
plaints mentioned,  says:    'Kainit  is  to  rust  what  quinine  is  to  chills— a 

specific* " 

TEXAS,    1889. 

Cotton  Root  Rot,  by  L.  H.  Pammel.     Second  Annual  Report. 

"Of  the  fertilizers,  kainit  has  proved  most  beneficial,  14  plants  re- 
maining alive  on  September  6th.  Many  correspondents  in  other 
cotton  States  mention  kainit  as  valuable  in  checking  the  disease." 

OREGON,    1892. 

By  L.  F.  Washburn,  Entom.     Bulletin  No.  18,  March,  1892. 

"Potash  salts  are  rapidly  coming  into  favor,  not  only  as  fertilizers, 
but  also  for  their  insecticidal  qualities." 


COMPOSITION  OF  FERTILIZER   MATERIALS  USED  AS  SOURCES 
OF   PHOSPHORIC  ACID. 


So.  Carolina  Acid  Phosphate. 

Florida  Acid  Phosphate 

Tennessee  Acid  Phosphate . . . 

Bone  Black,  dissolved.    

Basic  Slagl ;::^. 

Bone  Meal .    .. . , 

Bone,  dissolved , 


- 

EQUIVALENT 

POTASH 

AVAILABLE 

NITROGEN 

IN 

(KoO) 

PHOSPHORIC 

AMMONIA 

ACID 

/' 

Sr 

'/ 

^ 

13  to  I4i 
13  to  16 

15  to  18 



16  to  19 

1    

1 

14  to  15 

1      Ztto    4i 

3    to    51 

6  to    9 

2    to    3 

•    2|to    3i 

13  to  15 

COMPOSITION  OF  FERTILIZER   MATERIALS  USED  AS  SOURCES 

OF   NITROGEN. 


Nitrate  of  Soda. . ....  .^. . . 

Sulphate  of  Ammonia. . . . 

C\-anamid 

Dried  Blood  (high  grade) 
Dried  Blood  (low  grade)  . 
Concentrated  Tankage. . . 

Tankage 

Bone  Tankage 

Dried  Fish  Scrap 

Cotton  Seed  Meal 

Castor  Pomace . . 

Tobacco  Stems 


NITROGEN 


.15i 

19 

15 

12 

10 

12 

7i 

5 

9 

6| 

5 

91 


to  16^ 
to20J 
to  17 
to  ,14 
toll 
to  13 
to  9 
to  6 
to  10 


EQUIVALENT 

IN 

AMMONIA 


18  to  19 

22  to  24 

18  to  20 

14  to  15 

12  to  13 

13  to  14 
9  to  11 
6  to    7| 

11  to  12 
7i  to    9 

6  to    7 

3  to    3i 


POTASH 

(K,0) 


Hto    2 

1  to    1^ 

2  to  10 


PHOSPHORIC 
ACID 

(PgOg) 


2    to  3 

Hto  2 

1  to  2 
7  to  9 
91  to  15 
5.V  to  7 

2  to  3 


to    1 


COMPOSITION  OF  MATERIALS  USED  AS  SOURCES  OF  POTASH 


ACTUAL 
POTASH 
(KoO) 

rm  CEVT 


LIME 


PER  CE.NT. 


I     t5      ^< 


Muriate  of  Potash 50  to  54 

Sulphate  of' Potash  (high  grade)  48  to  52 
Sulphate  of  Potash  and  Magnesia  25  to  28 


Kainit 

Manure  Salt,  min.  20^ 

Wood  Ashes  (unleached). 

Wood  Ashes  (leached) 

Tobacco  Stems 


12 

20  to  21 

2  to    8 

Ito    2 

5  to    8 


30  to  35 

35  to  40 

3.5 


2  to  3 


2^  to  3i 


PHOS. 

ACID 

TOTAL 


ito  2 
1  tol^ 


45  to  48 
0.3tol.5 
1.5to2.5 
j30  to  32 


78 


AVERAGE   COMPOSITtON  OF  THE    fiiOSt  JMl»0'^A?^J, 
FARM    MANURES   (U.  S.  DEPT.  ACSRlbULTUrtk). 


Cow  Manure  (fresh)  . 
Horse  Manure  (fresh) 
Sheep  Manure  (fresh) 
Hog  Manure  (fresh)  . 
Hen  Dung  (fresh) . . . 
Mixed  Stable  Manure 


Nitrogen 


0.29f^ 
0  44^' 
0.55%' 
0.60%^ 
1 .  10%' 
0.49%' 


Equivalant 


!     Potash 
(KoO) 


0 .  35%' 
0.53^ 
0.67;^ 
0.73^ 
1.34^ 
0.60^ 


O.W 
0.35jg 
0.155? 
0.13^ 
0.56$? 
0.43^ 


Phosphoric 
Acid 

(PaOs) 


O.W 

0.17^ 
0.31$? 
0.41^ 
0.855? 
0.32^ 


TABLE    GIVING   THE    AMOUNTS   OF    FERTILIZER    INGREDIENTS 

(Potash,    Phosphoric   Acid    and    Nitrogen)    CONTAINED    IN 

THE  CROP  FROM  ONE  ACRE: 


STRAW,  ETC. 


PHOSPHORIC 
ACID. 


NITROGEN 


Apples 

Barley 

Beans 

Buckwheat . . . 

Cabbage 

Clover,  green* 
Clover,  dry  . . . 

Corn 

Grapes 

Hops   

Mixed  Hay .  . . 

Oats 

Onions 

Pears 

Peas 

Plums 

Potatoes 

Rye 

Sugar  Beets  . . 
Timothy  Hay. 

Tobacco 

Tomatoes. . . . 

Turnips 

Whea.t 


tons 
bu. 


tons 


2 

6oo 


bu. 

tons 

lbs. 


6o 

45,ooo 

i6 

30 


bu. 

lbs. 

tons 

bu. 

tons 

bu. 


200 
30   '• 
15  tons 


1,600 

10 

700 

35 


lbs. 

tons 

bu. 


2.000  lbs. 
2,700   " 
2.800  " 


15  tons 
2  " 
6,000  lbs. 
7,000  '* 
2,700  '♦ 
5,000  " 
3,200     '* 


3,000  lbs. 


1,500  lbs. 
4.250  " 
6,000  " 
4,000  '• 
1,400  '* 


5  tons 
3,000  lbs. 


60  lbs, 

51 

53 

40 
270 
140 

88 

55 

39 

53 

77 

62 

72 

26 

52 
.40 

74 

45 
143 

94 
200 

54 
180 

31 


30  lbs. 

17 

30 

14 

70 

40 

18 

48 

II 

23 
18 
22 

37 
10 

33 
4 
21 
26 
32 
23 
16 
20 
52 
24 


39  lbs 

57 

75 

56 
200 
130 

82 

83 

32 

84 

70 

55 
72 
32 
108 
30 
46 
51 
69 
89 
76 
32 
80 
59 


*  Crimsbn  Clover, 


-  ,piSfT«^NCZS    RECOMMENDED    FOR    PLANTING. 
Cln  planting  tfs  the  greater  distance  should  be  given  on  the  richer  soils) 


Apples  (standard) 20  to  30  feet  each  w; 

Apples  (dwarf) 6  to  10     " 

Pears  (standard) 20  to  25     " 

Pears  (dwarf) 12  to  15     " 

Quinces 15  " 

Peaches 1 8  to  24     " 

Plums 15  to  20     " 

Cherries 1 5  to  20     '  • 

Figs 12  to  15     •• 

Japan  Persimmons 1  5  10  20     " 

Mulberries 20  to  25     " 

Oranges  (Sweet) 20  to  2  5     " 

Oranges  (Japanese) 1 2  to  1 5     " 

Blackberries 6  by  4 

Raspberries 6  by  3 

Currants. .     5  by  3 

Gooseberries .     5  by  3 

Strawberries  (Hills) 36x18  inches. 

Strawberries  (Matted  rows) 48x12       ' ' 

Grapes 8x8  to  10x12  feet. 

Asparagus 4x2  feet. 

Rhubarb ". 4x2  feet. 


NUMBER    OF    PLANTS    PER    ACRE    AT    VARIOUS    DISTANCES. 


DISTANCE 
INCHES. 


PLANTS 


6  272,640 

2,090,880 

1,568,160 

1,254.528 

1,568,160 

1,045,440 

784,080 

627,264 

696,960 

522,720 

418,175 
392,040 

313.643 

250.905 

174.240 

128  013 

98,010 

77.440 

62,726 

31.362 

26,132 

20,908 

T6.424 


DISTANCE 

i 

PLANTS 

INCHES. 

1 

10  X  48 

13,068 

15  X  15 

27,878 

15  x  30 

13.939 

15  X  36 

11,616 

18  x  36 

9,680 

18  x  48 

7.260 

FEET. 

I    X    I 

43.560 

1X2 

21.780 

I   X  3 

14.520 

I    X   4 

10,890 

I   X   5 

8,712 

2X2 

10,890 

2x3 

7.260 

2x4 

5.445 

2  X   5 

4.356 

3x3 

4.840 

3x4 

3.630 

3  X  5 

2,904 

3  X  6 

2,420 

3x7 

2,074 

4x4 

2,722 

DISTANCE 

PLANTS 

FEET. 

4X    5 

2,178 

4x6 

1,815 

4X    7 

1,556 

5  X    5 

1,742 

5x    6 

1,452 

5x7 

1.242 

5x    8 

1,089 

5x    9 

968 

6x6 

1,210 

6x    7 

1,037 

6x    8 

907 

6x9 

806 

6  x  [0 

726 

7x7 

888 

7X    8 

777 

7x    9 

691 

7  X  10 

622 

8x8 

680 

8x9 

605 

8  X  10 

544 

8  X  II 

495 

8  X  12 

453 

9x9 

537 

DIS 

lANCE 

FEET. 

9 

X 

10 

9 

X 

II 

9 

X 

12 

CO 

X 

10 

10 

X 

12 

10 

X 

15 

10 

X 

18 

10 

X 

20 

12 

X 

12 

12 

X 

15 

12 

X 

20 

15 

X 

15 

15 

X 

18 

IS 

X 

20 

18 

X 

18 

18 

X 

20 

18 

X 

24 

20 

X 

20 

20 

X 

24 

20 

X 

30 

30 

X 

24 

30 

X 

30 

30 

X 

36 

484 
440 

403 

435 
363 
290 
242 

2T7 
302 
242 
181 

193 
161 

M5 

13*4 

121 

100 

"108 

90 

72 

60 

48 

40 


iiiSiiiSS'"^^- 

CD571733ES 


